eel

[ eel ]

/ il /

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.

Origin of eel

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

Related formseel·like, adjectiveeel·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for eel

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
“‘The Eel’ has been trapped at last,” he laughed to himself.
The White Lie|William Le Queux

I dont know az an eel iz the same az a snaix exactly, but they are near enuff to suit me.
The Complete Works of Josh Billings|Henry W. Shaw
"I'm Ben Gunn, I am," replied the maroon, wriggling like an eel in his embarrassment.
Treasure Island|Robert Louis Stevenson
He squirmed under me like an eel, but could not break the grip, his face purpling, until he lost all power.
Gordon Craig|Randall Parrish
You tried to do so, and Claude has tried to do so during the last few days, but the man is as elusive as an eel.
The Crime Club|William Holt-White

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 Formseel-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

Word Origin and History for eel

eel

Old English æl, from Proto-Germanic *ælaz (cf. Old Frisian -el, Middle Dutch ael, Dutch aal, Old Saxon and Old High German al, German Aal, Old Norse all), of unknown origin, with no certain cognates outside Germanic. Used figuratively for slipperiness from at least 1520s.

Idioms and Phrases with eel