gavial

G2A1V4I1A1L1
/ˈɡeɪ.vi.əl/

A form of gharial — A crocodilian of species Gavialis gangeticus, of the family Gavialidae.

Similar
Gavialis gangeticus
Scrabble 10

Meanings

noungavial (plural gavials)

plural gavials

  1. alternativeAlternative form of gharial.

    Although human remains and jewelry have been found in their stomachs, gavials are not as fierce as many alligators and crocodiles.

    2006, Lynn Huggins-Cooper, Ravenous Reptiles, page 19
    2 more examples

    Cuvier had begun studying the fossils of crocodiles found near Caen and Honfleur in France. (They were, in fact, gavials, fine-jawed crocodiles that are nowadays found in India).

    2002, Pierre-Henri Gouyon, Jean-Pierre Henry, Jacques Arnould, “Gene Avatars: The Neo-Darwinian Theory of Evolution”, in Tiiu Ojasoo, transl., [1997, Les avatars du gène: La théorie néodarwinienne de l'évolution], page 28

    Gavials (or gharials) are found only on the northern Indian subcontinent, where most are riverine, being best adapted to calmer areas in deep fast-flowing rivers.

    2011, Joseph T. Springer, Dennis Holley, An Introduction to Zoology: Investigating the Animal World, page 415

Synonyms & antonyms

nounlarge fish-eating Indian crocodilian with a long slender snout

Similar
Gavialis gangeticus
Broader
crocodilian reptilecrocodilian
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Hindiघड़ियाल
  2. Englishgavial

From Hindi घड़ियाल (ghaṛiyāl). Doublet of gharial.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

gavial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gavial

MLA

“gavial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gavial. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gavial,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gavial.

Source: gavial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.