moray

¹

[ mawr-ey, mohr-ey; maw-rey, moh- ]

noun

, plural mo·rays.

1. any of numerous chiefly tropical eels of the family Muraenidae, having porelike gill openings and no pectoral fins.

Moray

²

[ mur-ee ]

noun

1. a historic county in NE Scotland, on Moray Firth.

Moray

¹

/ ˈmʌrɪ /

noun

1. Moray, 1st Earl of?15311570MScottishPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: head of state 1st Earl of, title of James Stuart. ?1531–70, regent of Scotland (1567–70) following the abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots, his half-sister. He defeated Mary and Bothwell at Langside (1568); assassinated by a follower of Mary

Moray

²

/ ˈmʌrɪ /

noun

1. a council area and historical county of NE Scotland: part of Grampian region from 1975 to 1996: mainly hilly, with the Cairngorm mountains in the S. Administrative centre: Elgin. Pop: 87 460 (2003 est). Area: 2238 sq km (874 sq miles) Former nameElgin

moray

³

/ mɒˈreɪ /

noun

1. any voracious marine coastal eel of the family Muraenidae, esp Muraena helena, marked with brilliant patterns and colours

Word History and Origins

Origin of moray¹

1615–25, Americanism; < Portuguese moréia < Latin mūraena < Greek mȳ́raina lamprey

Word History and Origins

Origin of moray¹

C17: from Portuguese moréia, from Latin mūrēna, from Greek muraina

Example Sentences

Most fish are suction feeders, and require water to help usher food into their bellies, but the snowflake moray overcomes this with its unique physiology.

From Popular-Science

Over six years, Mehta, her co-author Kyle Donohoe, and various students would use reinforcements to train morays to feed on the ramps inside their custom tanks.

From Popular-Science

In fact, she remembers, local fishermen often caught morays by placing squids on the shore and waiting for the eels to arrive.

From Popular-Science

According to the Daily Mirror, William is keen to transfer to RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, in 2013.

From The Daily Beast

In front of her house (Moray Place) stood a cart of coals, which the poor victim of the carter was unable to drag along.

From Project Gutenberg

She was the daughter of Randolph, Earl of Moray, and inherited from her father a fierce, intrepid spirit.

From Project Gutenberg

James of Douglas, seeing that Moray was very hard pressed, asked the king's permission to go to his assistance.

From Project Gutenberg

The estate belongs to the Earl of Moray, the owner of Doune and of many broad lands in the north.

From Project Gutenberg

Twenty-six new species of crustacea were discovered by himself alone in the Moray Firth.

From Project Gutenberg