gavial

[ gey-vee-uh l ]

/ ˈgeɪ vi əl /

a large crocodilian, Gavialis gangeticus, of India and Pakistan, having elongated, garlike jaws: an endangered species.

Also called gharial.

Origin of gavial

1815–25; < French < Hindi ghariyāl

ga·vi·al·oid, adjective

gavaskar, gave, gavel, gavel-to-gavel, gavelkind, gavial, gavin, gavotte, gaw, gawain, gawain, sir

All at once the disengaged arm made a long clutch forward and grasped the upper jaw of the gavial.

The Castaways |Captain Mayne Reid
The gavial of the Ganges is reported to be a fish-eater only, and is considered harmless to man.

Mythical Monsters |Charles Gould
The gavial is found in Asia—particularly in the Ganges and other Indian rivers, and is the crocodile of those parts.

The Boy Hunters |Captain Mayne Reid
Some of the best known varieties are those of the river Nile, the Gavial of the Ganges being also among the more familiar species.

Natural History in Anecdote |Various

Alligators are found in most of the rivers, and the gavial is less frequently met with.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3 |Various

gavial

/ (ˈɡeɪvɪəl) /

a large fish-eating Indian crocodilian, Gavialis gangeticus, with a very long slender snout: family Gavialidae

false gavial a SE Asian crocodile, Tomistoma schlegeli, similar to but smaller than the gavial

C19: from French, from Hindi ghariyāl