Asian crocodile
- noun
- /ˈeɪʒən ˈkrɒkədaɪl/
- Australian
:
cocodrilo asiático
- The Asian crocodile can grow to be over 20 feet long in the wild.
Examples
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Tourists often visit the river to see the Asian crocodile basking in the sun.
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The Asian crocodile is known for its powerful jaws and aggressive nature.
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He's an Asian crocodile.
Synonyms
142
1.0
A large reptile with a long snout, strong jaws, and sharp teeth that lives in rivers and lakes
34
5.4
A large reptile with a long snout that lives in rivers or swamps
A very large crocodile that lives in rivers and coasts from eastern India to northern Australia
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning ('a crocodile from Asia') is directly and compositionally derived from the adjective 'Asian' modifying the noun 'crocodile', so a learner who knows both words can infer the referent. This adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and not idiomatic, making the expression immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner (the precise species label like 'saltwater crocodile' is specialist detail but not required for basic understanding).
Etymology
Asian crocodile names a very large crocodile that lives in rivers and along the coasts of Asia and nearby islands. It is often called the 'saltwater crocodile' because it can live in both fresh and salty water, so the name shows where it lives and what kind of animal it is.