eel
Americannoun
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any of numerous elongated, snakelike marine or freshwater fishes of the order Apodes, having no ventral fins.
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any of several similar but unrelated fishes, as the lamprey.
noun
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any teleost fish of the order Apodes (or Anguilliformes ), such as the European freshwater species Anguilla anguilla, having a long snakelike body, a smooth slimy skin, and reduced fins
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any of various other animals with a long body and smooth skin, such as the mud eel and the electric eel
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an evasive or untrustworthy person
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of eel
before 1000; Middle English ele, Old English ēl, ǣl; cognate with Dutch aal, German Aal, Old Norse āll
Explanation
An eel is a fish that's so long and skinny it resembles a snake. Most eels live in very shallow ocean waters, burrowing into the sand there. Eels are a type of fish, and though they are as long and flexible as snakes, they don't have scales, and if you look closely you can see they have a long, low fin. Eels are famous for being slippery, and in fact to be "as slippery as an eel" means to be so sneaky and cunning that you can get away with something illegal or illicit. This figurative meaning dates from the 16th century.
Vocabulary lists containing eel
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most have additional certifications in math, reading, special education, EEL and other areas.
From New York Times • May 2, 2012
EEL: Yes, and believe me I'll spring a sensation when I open up.
From Writing for Vaudeville by Page, Brett
EEL: Yes, and I suppose you know what I stole before I stole it.
From Writing for Vaudeville by Page, Brett
Page 230—there is no Latin translation provided for the heading "EEL".
From Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Vehling, Joseph Dommers
EEL: So Goldie declared me in on this?
From Writing for Vaudeville by Page, Brett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
