-gators-

n. One who repeals by authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who aggregates. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Sp. el lagarto the lizard (el lagarto de Indias, the cayman or American crocodile), fr. L. lacertus, lacerta, lizard. See Lizard. ] 1. (Zool.) A large carnivorous reptile of the Crocodile family, peculiar to America. It has a shorter and broader snout than the crocodile, and the large teeth of the lower jaw shut into pits in the upper jaw, which has no marginal notches. Besides the common species of the southern United States, there are allied species in South America. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mech.) Any machine with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator; as, (a) (Metal Working) a form of squeezer for the puddle ball; (b) (Mining) a rock breaker; (c) (Printing) a kind of job press, called also alligator press. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alligator apple (Bot.), the fruit of the Anona palustris, a West Indian tree. It is said to be narcotic in its properties. Loudon. --
Alligator fish (Zool.), a marine fish of northwestern America (Podothecus acipenserinus). --
Alligator gar (Zool.), one of the gar pikes (Lepidosteus spatula) found in the southern rivers of the United States. The name is also applied to other species of gar pikes. --
Alligator pear (Bot.), a corruption of Avocado pear. See Avocado. --
Alligator snapper,
Alligator tortoise,
Alligator turtle (Zool.), a very large and voracious turtle (Macrochelys lacertina) inhabiting the rivers of the southern United States. It sometimes reaches the weight of two hundred pounds. Unlike the common snapping turtle, to which the name is sometimes erroneously applied, it has a scaly head and many small scales beneath the tail. This name is sometimes given to other turtles, as to species of Trionyx. --
Alligator wood, the timber of a tree of the West Indies (Guarea Swartzii). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. & t. [ Because of the resemblance to the pattern on the skin of an alligator. ] to form shallow cracks in a reticulated pattern on the surface, or in a coating on the surface, of an object. [ PJC ]

adj. 1. 1 having cracks in a reticulated pattern, giving an appearance reminiscent of alligator hide; -- said of a surface coating, e.g., of paint, varnish, or glazing
Syn. -- cracked [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. 1 small very elongate sea poachers.
Syn. -- Aspidophoroides monopterygius [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 the family of reptiles comprising the alligators, and including the caimans.
Syn. -- family Alligatoridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. (Mech.) A kind of pipe wrench having a flaring jaw with teeth on one side. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. ] One who castigates or corrects. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. castigatorius. ] Punitive in order to amendment; corrective. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An instrument formerly used to punish and correct arrant scolds; -- called also a ducking stool, or trebucket. Blacktone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who sails round. W. Guthrie. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. ] One who bears testimony or swears to the veracity or innocence of another. See Purgation; also Wager of law, under Wager. [ 1913 Webster ]

All they who know me . . . will say they have reason in this matter to be my compurgators. Chillingworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to a compurgator or to compurgation. “Their compurgatorial oath.” Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL.; cf. F. corrugateur. ] (Anat.) A muscle which contracts the skin of the forehead into wrinkles. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. delegatorius pert. to an assignment. ] Holding a delegated position. Nash. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving to purge; tending to cleanse or purify. [ Obs. ] Cotgrave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] A detractor. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a derogatory manner; disparagingly. Aubrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being derogatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to derogate, or lessen in value; expressing a low opinion; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious; -- with from, to, or unto.
Syn. -- belittling, depreciative, deprecatory, depreciatory, derogatory, detractive, detracting, slighting, pejorative, denigratory. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acts of Parliament derogatory from the power of subsequent Parliaments bind not. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

His language was severely censured by some of his brother peers as derogatory to their other. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Derogatory clause in a testament (Law), a sentence of secret character inserted by the testator alone, of which he reserves the knowledge to himself, with a condition that no will he may make thereafter shall be valid, unless this clause is inserted word for word; -- a precaution to guard against later wills extorted by violence, or obtained by suggestion. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Releasing from obligation. “Disobligatory power.” Charles I. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who expurgates or purifies. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending or serving to expurgate; expurgatory. Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Expurgatory. [ Obs. ] “Expurgatorious indexes.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. expurgatoire. ] Serving to purify from anything noxious or erroneous; cleansing; purifying. “Expurgatory animadversions.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Expurgatory Index. See Index Expurgatorius, under Index. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, fumigates; an apparattus for fumigating. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. fumigatoire. ] Having the quality of purifying by smoke. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] A searcher; an explorer; an investigator. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Searched into by such skillful indagators of nature. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. instigateur. ] One who instigates or incites. Burke.
Syn. -- inciter, instigant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. interrogateur. ] One who asks questions; a questioner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Interrogatories [ Cf. F. interrogatoire. ] A formal question or inquiry; esp. (Law), a question or series of questions asked in writing, usually as part of a lawsuit. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. interrogatorius. ] Containing, expressing, or implying a question; as, an interrogatory sentence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. investigateur. ] One who searches diligently into a subject. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. Of or pertaining to an investigation; accomplished by investigation; designed to find information or ascertain facts; as, investigatory committee; the investigatory excesses of the prosecutor.
Syn. -- fact-finding, investigative. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ L., fr. legare: cf. OF. legateur. See Legacy. ] (Law) A testator; one who bequeaths a legacy. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. [ See Ligate. ] (Surg.) An instrument for ligating, or for placing and fastening a ligature. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] One who litigates. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, mitigates. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to mitigate or alleviate; mitigative. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who navigates or sails; esp., one who direct the course of a ship, or one who is skillful in the art of navigation; also, a book which teaches the art of navigation; as, Bowditch's Navigator. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. negatorius: cf. F. négatorie. ] Expressing denial; belonging to negation; negative. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. nugatorius, fr. nugari to trifle, nugae jests, trifles. ] 1. Trifling; vain; futile; insignificant. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of no force; inoperative; ineffectual. [ 1913 Webster ]

If all are pardoned, and pardoned as a mere act of clemency, the very substance of government is made nugatory. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. objurgatorius. ] Designed to objurgate or chide; containing or expressing reproof; culpatory. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

The objurgatory question of the Pharisees. Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an obligatory manner; by reason of obligation. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being obligatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. obligatorius: cf. F. obligatoire. ] Binding in law or conscience; imposing duty or obligation; requiring performance or forbearance of some act; -- often followed by on or upon; as, obedience is obligatory on a soldier. [ 1913 Webster ]

As long as the law is obligatory, so long our obedience is due. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] One who promulgates or publishes. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]