eel

American  

[eel] / il /

noun

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

• eely
  adjective
• eellike
  adjective
• eel-like
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• eels
  plural
• eel
  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

But for Andrew Kerr of the Sustainable Eel Group, such findings fail to take into account eel trafficking, which he calls the "greatest wildlife crime" on the planet.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

They say undamming the Klamath will demonstrate the potential for restoring free-flowing rivers elsewhere in California, and point to initial plans to remove two dams on the Eel River as another promising opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 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

In California, top candidates include two dams on the Eel River, south of the Klamath, and a string of six dams on Battle Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 18, 2023

As dusk fell outside, the benches at the Eel began to fill with sailors.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin