eel
Americannoun
plural
eel,plural
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.
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
Other Word Forms
- eel-like adjective
- eellike adjective
- eely adjective
Etymology
Origin of eel
before 1000; Middle English ele, Old English ēl, ǣl; cognate with Dutch aal, German Aal, Old Norse āll
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He dabbled in a range of businesses, including trucking cargo, importing fish feed and even farming eels.
From Barron's
Mermaids, manatees, whales, turtles, eels, pirate ships, and all sorts of sea life were printed on it.
From Literature
The meadows also provide a habitat for fish, eels and birds.
From BBC
The lifeguard was the one who saved him, curling three tentacles around Daniel to draw him away from a bad-tempered eel who had started shouting about “crazy kids” on his lawn.
From Literature
Ospreys diving for fish, mountain hares in the snow, puffins with bills full of sand eels, red squirrels, beavers and even a lynx.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
