crocodile
UK[ˈkrɒkədaɪl]US[ˈkrɑːkədaɪl]
n
a large reptile with a long body, short legs, a long powerful tail, and hard skin, that lives in rivers and lakes in hot wet parts of the world.
n
the skin of this animal used for making leather goods such as shoes and bags.
Etymology
the word 'crocodile' has a long and winding etymological journey. it originates from the ancient greek 'krokodilos', a compound term used for a nile lizard, literally meaning 'pebble-worm', perhaps from its habit of basking on pebbly shores. this term was adopted into latin as 'crocodilus' and subsequently into old french as 'cocodrille', before entering middle english. the modern spelling was later re-latinized. the semantic path from a descriptive compound for a specific lizard to the standardized name for a large aquatic reptile demonstrates how a folk etymology can solidify into a fixed scientific and common term.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword. it entered english via old french and latin from the greek word 'krokodilos', meaning 'lizard' or literally 'pebble-worm', from 'krokē' (pebble) and 'drilos' (worm). its current spelling and form are not productively divisible into modern english morphemes.
Examples
we watched a huge crocodile slide silently into the river from the muddy bank.
her handbag was made from genuine crocodile skin.
he was accused of shedding crocodile tears after laying off hundreds of employees.