alligator shear

noun

A metal-cutting shear with a hinged jaw, powered by a flywheel or hydraulic cylinder.

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Meanings

nounalligator shear (plural alligator shears)

plural alligator shears

  1. A metal-cutting shear with a hinged jaw, powered by a flywheel or hydraulic cylinder.

Origin

From alligator + shear, from the shape of its "jaw" being similar in shape to an alligator's.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

alligator shear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alligator%20shear

MLA

“alligator shear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alligator%20shear. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alligator shear,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alligator%20shear.

Source: alligator shear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.