An alligator clip is a small, spring-loaded clamp with serrated jaws designed to temporarily grip wires, component leads, or test points. They are ubiquitous on electronics test benches, usually crimped or soldered to the ends of patch cables or multimeter probes. While convenient for quick breadboarding, they can easily slip and cause short circuits if used in densely packed layouts.
Grab a jumper with an alligator clip and ground that pin so the relay stops chattering.
Always check the crimp connection under the plastic boot; cheap alligator clips are notorious for broken wires that look perfectly fine from the outside.
Also heard as
- crocodile clip
- gator clip
Related terms
Breadboard
A reusable platform with a grid of spring-clip holes used for prototyping electronic circuits without soldering.
Jump wire
A short electrical wire used to connect two points in a circuit temporarily.
DUT
A device under test is the specific component, board, or system being evaluated by test equipment.