eel

[eel]

noun

plural

eel ,

plural

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

Other Word Forms

• eellike adjective
• eely adjective
• eel-like 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

The world's top wildlife trade body rejected new protections for eels on Thursday in a secret ballot at talks in Uzbekistan.

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Global wildlife talks open Monday, with debates set to take on questions ranging from protection of sharks, a bid to allow limited rhino horn sales and a push to restrict the trade in eels.

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It cites a recent study by Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology that says the Japanese eel population has tripled across East Asia since 1990.

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At an eel restaurant near Tokyo, four friends sit down to eat a Japanese delicacy now the subject of a heated international debate as its numbers decline.

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Fish, sharks, eels, and other sea life traverse the waters.

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