lamprey

American  

[lam-pree] / ˈlæm pri /

noun

lampreys plural

1. any eellike marine or freshwater fish of the order Petromyzoniformes, having a circular, suctorial mouth with horny teeth for boring into the flesh of other fishes to feed on their blood.

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lamprey British  

/ ˈlæmprɪ /

noun

1. Also called: lamper eel.  any eel-like cyclostome vertebrate of the family Petromyzonidae, having a round sucking mouth for clinging to and feeding on the blood of other animals See also sea lamprey

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lampreys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lamprey

1250–1300; Middle English lampreye < Anglo-French *lampreie ( Old French lamproie ) < Late Latin lamprēda; replacing Old English lamprede < Medieval Latin lampreda

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lamprey lampreys

The River Lugg is home to six protected and endangered species, including common otter, Atlantic salmon, white clawed crayfish, brook lamprey, shad and bullhead.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

A recent independent U.K. report on the nuclear sector found it would spare the lives of 0.028 sea trout, six river lamprey, 18 allis shad and 528 twaite shad every year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025

Fish passage has also been opened for other species recorded in the river, including the critically endangered European eel as well as grayling, trout, lamprey, minnow, stone loach, and bullhead.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2025

The Australian brook lamprey is thought to be extinct where it was first described, in southern NSW.

From Science Daily ● May 8, 2024

There were lamprey pies, capons glazed with honey, a whiskerfish from the bottom of the Greenblood that was so big it took four serving men to carry it to table.

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

The Environment Agency found that 2,100 fish died, including eels and lampreys both endangered and protected species.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2024

Biologists expect that with the dams now removed and the Klamath flowing freely, all types of native fish will benefit, including fall-run and spring-run chinook as well as coho salmon, steelhead trout and Pacific lampreys.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2024

Then they did similar analyses on juvenile sharks and lampreys.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 25, 2024

Because most vertebrates, including humans, have jaws, this striking difference in sea lampreys makes them valuable models for understanding the evolution of vertebrate traits.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2024

Lord Wyman had brought twenty casks of fish from White Harbor packed in salt and seaweed; whitefish and winkles, crabs and mussels, clams, herring, cod, salmon, lobster and lampreys.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin