eel

American  

[eel] / il /

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 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

---

eel Idioms  

1. see slippery as an eel.

---

Other Word Forms

• eel-like adjective
• eellike adjective
• eely adjective

Etymology

Origin of eel

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

Example Sentences

The meadows also provide a habitat for fish, eels and birds.

From BBC

The lifeguard was the one who saved him, curling three tentacles around Daniel to draw him away from a bad-tempered eel who had started shouting about “crazy kids” on his lawn.

From Literature

Ospreys diving for fish, mountain hares in the snow, puffins with bills full of sand eels, red squirrels, beavers and even a lynx.

From BBC

After several contentious sessions on regulating trade in other species, including eels, the proposal to increase shark protections passed by consensus, which Slee said was a sign of changing perceptions of sharks.

From Barron's

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

From Barron's