What is "alligator turtle"

Turtle \Tur"tle\, n. [Probably the same word as the word preceding, and substituted (probably by sailors) for the Spanish or Portuguese name; cf. Sp. tortuga tortoise, turtle, Pg. tartaruga, also F. tortue, and E. tortoise.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of the numerous species of Testudinata, especially a sea turtle, or chelonian.

   Note: In the United States the land and fresh-water tortoises are also called turtles.

2. (Printing) The curved plate in which the form is held in a type-revolving cylinder press.

   Alligator turtle, Box turtle, etc. See under Alligator, Box, etc.

   green turtle (Zo["o]l.), a marine turtle of the genus Chelonia, having usually a smooth greenish or olive-colored shell. It is highly valued for the delicacy of its flesh, which is used especially for turtle soup. Two distinct species or varieties are known; one of which ( Chelonia Midas) inhabits the warm part of the Atlantic Ocean, and sometimes weighs eight hundred pounds or more; the other ( Chelonia virgata) inhabits the Pacific Ocean. Both species are similar in habits and feed principally on seaweed and other marine plants, especially the turtle grass.

   Turtle cowrie (Zo["o]l.), a large, handsome cowrie ( Cypr[ae]a testudinaria); the turtle-shell; so called because of its fancied resemblance to a tortoise in color and form.

   Turtle grass (Bot.), a marine plant ( Thalassia testudinum) with grasslike leaves, common about the West Indies.

   Turtle shell, tortoise shell. See under Tortoise.

Alligator \Al"li*ga`tor\, n. [Sp. el lagarto the lizard (el lagarto de Indias, the cayman or American crocodile), fr. L. lacertus, lacerta, lizard. See Lizard.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) 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.

2. (Mech.) Any machine with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator; as,

   1. (Metal Working) a form of squeezer for the puddle ball;

   2. (Mining) a rock breaker;

   3. (Printing) a kind of job press, called also alligator press.

      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 (Zo["o]l.), a marine fish of northwestern America ( Podothecus acipenserinus).

      Alligator gar (Zo["o]l.), 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 (Zo["o]l.), 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).