mud eel

noun

1. a salamander, Siren lacertina, having external gills, tiny front legs, and no hind legs, inhabiting shallow waters in the southeastern U.S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mud eel¹

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

The following has been traced to the time of Henry VI., a singular doggerel, the joke of which consists in saying it so quickly that it cannot be told whether it is English or gibberish: In fir tar is, In oak none is, In mud eel is, In clay none is, Goat eat ivy, Mare eat oats.

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Another curious batrachian, the mud eel, is found in Carolina, in marshy situations.

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He turned it over idly, pausing as he did so to pull up the line which was being jerked violently, but only by a mud eel.

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