lamprey

[ lam-pree ]

/ ˈlæm pri /

noun, plural lam·preys.

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.

Nearby words

lampion, lamplight, lamplighter, lampoon, lamppost, lamprey, lamprophonic, lamprophony, lamprophyre, lampshade, lampworking

Origin of lamprey

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

Also called lamprey eel, lamper eel.

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

Examples from the Web for lamprey

The lamprey, petromyzon, is put by Linneus amongst the nantes, which are defined to possess both gills and lungs.
The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society|Erasmus Darwin.
Its vulgar name, lamprey, from lampetra, has a similar derivation.
Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature and the Arts, July-December, 1827|Various
Then, since they could not have the lamprey, the cur had the table laid, and they made as good cheer as they could.
One Hundred Merrie And Delightsome Stories|Various
The post office was the only public office in the town until the cotton mills were built on the Lamprey River in 1823.
Early American Scientific Instruments and Their Makers|Silvio A. Bedini

Next morning, he had the satisfaction of hauling in the trap with the lamprey in a rampagious humour inside.
Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art|Various

British Dictionary definitions for lamprey

lamprey

/ (ˈlæmprɪ) /

noun

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

Word Origin for lamprey

C13: from Old French lamproie, from Late Latin lamprēda; origin obscure

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 lamprey

lamprey

c.1300 (c.1200 as a surname?), from Old French lamproie, from Medieval Latin lampreda, from Late Latin lampetra "lamprey," of uncertain origin, usually explained as literally "lick-rock," from Latin lambere "to lick" (see lap (v.1)) + petra "rock" (see petrous). The animals attach themselves to things with their sucker-like mouths.