eel

American  

[eel] / il /

noun

• eel,
  plural
• eels
  plural

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.

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eel British  

/ 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

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eel Idioms  

1. see slippery as an eel.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• eel-like
  adjective
• eellike
  adjective
• eely
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• eel
  plural
• eels
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eel eels

Guernsey Nature Commission said there had been a 95% decline in the European eel population since the 1980s due largely to freshwater habitat loss and barriers to inland feeding grounds.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

When Reichl first took over the food section at the LA Times, she got a lot of pushback for covering international restaurants and including recipes for things like goat soup, sea slugs, and eel.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Lucy Galvin, the city council leader, said she and other residents had noticed dead pike, carp, roach, eel, rudd and dace.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

It transforms into a glass eel as it travels from coastal estuaries to places like Lough Neagh and Lough Erne.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

“You send a girl get me at Banga you be need help. I go show you cook eel. They got a big eel downa river yesterday. That fish a good be for children.”

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Researchers know that eels can detect Earth's magnetic field, but exactly how they sense it remains uncertain.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Harrison suggests that eels are one possible candidate.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

"The price of diesel was just the last straw," he said, after other key concerns including catch limits on bluefin tuna and new regulations for fishing eels.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

A spokesperson said trout, eels and lamprey were all confirmed dead.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

"If I had thought to see war again in my lifetime, I should have eaten a few less eels," he'd told Catelyn when he met her ship, slapping his massive belly with both hands.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin