eel

[ eel ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) eel, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) eels.

1. any of numerous elongated, snakelike marine or freshwater fishes of the order Apodes, having no ventral fins.
2. any of several similar but unrelated fishes, as the lamprey.

eel

/ iːl /

noun

1. 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
2. any of various other animals with a long body and smooth skin, such as the mud eel and the electric eel
3. an evasive or untrustworthy person

Derived Forms

• ˈeel-ˌlike, adjective
• ˈeely, adjective

Other Words From

• eellike adjective
• eely adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eel¹

before 1000; Middle English ele, Old English ēl, ǣl; cognate with Dutch aal, German Aal, Old Norse āll

Word History and Origins

Origin of eel¹

Old English ǣl; related to Old Frisian ēl, Old Norse āll, Old High German āl

Idioms and Phrases

see slippery as an eel .

Example Sentences

Raw eel seemed to be popular during and after the Middle Ages.

From The Daily Beast

Today, Eel Pie Island is home to a mellower bunch: retirees, artists, and the like.

From The Daily Beast

These are just a few of the famous visitors to Eel Pie Island, a centuries-old refuge for musicians, hippies, and writers.

From The Daily Beast

There are literally restaurants that focus entirely on a single ingredient, like eel for example.

From The Daily Beast

Stanley Hall also went for pastime, and Billy Towler slid into the boat like an eel, without leave, just as it pushed off.

From Project Gutenberg

Your Caroline, so enticing five hours before in this very chamber where she frisked about like an eel, is now a junk of lead.

From Project Gutenberg

Swaying tufts of vegetation marked the rapid passage of eel-like bodies.

From Project Gutenberg

We succeeded in taking an eel, a few crabs, and a small quantity of snails.

From Project Gutenberg

The lighter man was slippery as an eel, as hard to hit as a Corbett.

From Project Gutenberg