eel

[ eel ]

/ il /

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

any of numerous elongated, snakelike marine or freshwater fishes of the order Apodes, having no ventral fins.

any of several similar but unrelated fishes, as the lamprey.

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Origin of eel

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

OTHER WORDS FROM eel

eellike, adjectiveeely, adjective

Words nearby eel

EEC, EEE, EEG, eejit, eek, eel, eelblenny, eelgrass, eelpout, eelworm, e'en

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use eel in a sentence

You know, there was training 10,000 folks to replant kelp forests and eel grasses.
Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean? (Ep. 467)|Stephen J. Dubner|June 24, 2021|Freakonomics
The research is the first to show how this dual jaw action allows snowflake eels to feed just as effectively on land as in the water.
Moray eels enjoy surf ‘n turf with a surprise second set of jaws|Claire Maldarelli|June 22, 2021|Popular-Science
A weekly night dive is also available, a great chance to encounter octopuses and eels.
With covid protocols, a Caribbean fly-fishing haven is back in business|Chris Santella|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
There are, however, favorable aspects of the license approved by the FERC, Prost said, such as the programs to promote mussel restoration, fish and eel passage, turtle management and waterfowl nesting.
New 50-year Conowingo Dam license gets federal approval|Christine Condon|March 31, 2021|Washington Post

Brown pointed to research on groupers cooperating with moray eels to hunt.
Octopuses Find New Hunting Buddies - Issue 95: Escape|Brandon Keim|January 28, 2021|Nautilus
Raw eel seemed to be popular during and after the Middle Ages.
History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, Eel Pie Island is home to a mellower bunch: retirees, artists, and the like.
The Isle Where the Rolling Stones Began|Nina Strochlic|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These are just a few of the famous visitors to Eel Pie Island, a centuries-old refuge for musicians, hippies, and writers.
The Isle Where the Rolling Stones Began|Nina Strochlic|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are literally restaurants that focus entirely on a single ingredient, like eel for example.
Fresh Picks|Donatella Arpaia|August 11, 2009|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.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne
Your Caroline, so enticing five hours before in this very chamber where she frisked about like an eel, is now a junk of lead.
The Petty Troubles of Married Life, Complete|Honore de Balzac
Swaying tufts of vegetation marked the rapid passage of eel-like bodies.
Blazed Trail Stories|Stewart Edward White
We succeeded in taking an eel, a few crabs, and a small quantity of snails.
A Narrative of the Shipwreck, Captivity and Sufferings of Horace Holden and Benj. H. Nute|Horace Holden
The lighter man was slippery as an eel, as hard to hit as a Corbett.
The Highgrader|William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for eel

eel

/ (iːl) /

noun

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

any of various other animals with a long body and smooth skin, such as the mud eel and the electric eel

an evasive or untrustworthy person

Derived forms of eel

eel-like, adjectiveeely, adjective

Word Origin for eel

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with eel

eel

see slippery as an eel.