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.
Eel is an enormously popular food in Japan and other parts of Asia.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Across Europe, eels are managed under the terms of regional Eel Management Plans.
From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025
Generating particular excitement among planners is the prospect of opening up Eel River Canyon, abutting the nearly 200-mile Eel River, which runs along the northwestern coast not far from the Pacific Ocean.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2024
Once completed, the Eel would be the longest free-flowing river in the state, flowing north through the Coast Ranges before emptying into the Pacific Ocean near the town of Fortuna.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2024
As dusk fell outside, the benches at the Eel began to fill with sailors.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
