Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Any of various long, snakelike, scaleless marine or freshwater fishes of the order Anguilliformes or Apodes that lack pelvic fins and characteristically migrate from fresh water to salt water to spawn.
- n. Any of several similar fishes, such as the lamprey and electric eel.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. An elongated apodal fish of the family Anguillidæ and genus Anguilla, of which there are several species. The body is very long and subcylindrical, covered with discrete minute elliptical scales, chiefly arranged diagonally to the axis and at right angles with one another, but immersed in the skin, and partly concealed by a slippery mucous coat. The head is somewhat depressed, and the lower jaw protuberant. The teeth are slender, conic, and crowded in small bands in both jaws and in a longitudinal band on the vomer. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are nearly uniform, and completely united into one, the dorsal beginning near the second third of the entire length of the body. The color is generally brownish or blackish, except on the belly, which is whitish or silvery. The females attain a considerably larger size than the males. The sexual organs are minute except in the breeding season, and sexual intercourse takes place in the sea. Young females ascend into fresh water, but the males remain in salt water, and have rarely been seen; and when full-grown the females return to the sea for sexual intercourse and spawning. Eels are of much economic importance, and objects of special fisheries. The common European species is Anguilla anguilla or A. vulgaris; the American is A. rostrata. See Anguilla, Anguillidæ.
- n. Any fish of the order Apodes or Symbranchii, of which there are many families and several hundred species.
- n. Some fish resembling or likened to an eel; an anguilliform fish.
- n. Some small nematoid or threadworm, as of the family Anguillulidæ, found in vinegar, sour paste, etc. See vinegar-eel, and cut under Nematoidea.
- n. Hence— A rope's end; a flogging.
- n. Leptocephalus wilsoni of Australia.
- n. Congromuræna habenata of New Zealand.
Wiktionary
- n. Any fish of the order Anguilliformes which are elongated and resemble snakes. There are freshwater and marine species.
- n. The European eel, Anguilla anguilla.
- v. To fish for eels
- v. To move with a sinuous motion like that of an eel
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Zoöl.) An elongated fish of many genera and species. The common eels of Europe and America belong to the genus Anguilla. The electrical eel is a species of Gymnotus. The so called vinegar eel is a minute nematode worm. See conger eel, electric eel, and gymnotus.
WordNet 3.0
- n. voracious snakelike marine or freshwater fishes with smooth slimy usually scaleless skin and having a continuous vertical fin but no ventral fins
- n. the fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled
Etymologies
- From Middle English ele, from Old English ǣl ("eel"), from Proto-Germanic *ēlaz (“eel”). Cognate with West Frisian iel ("eel"), Dutch aal ("eel"), German Aal ("eel"), Swedish and Danish ål ("eel"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English ele, from Old English ǣl. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“The New Zealand longfin eel, is one of the most important creatures in the faith of the New Zealand Maori, and one of the longest-lived and largest freshwater fishes in the world (they can grown seven feet long, and have been aged at 104 years).”
The Huffington Post: James Prosek: 'Eels': The World's Most Mysterious Fish
“One guy at the check-out of the Supermarket was telling us how eel is considered an “aphrodisiac” in Korea and is good for my husband the way he tried to explain it was hillarious. girlwithhat says:”
“Did you know that eel is never served raw because the blood carries a neurotoxin (a cubic centimeter of which injected into a rabbit causes instant convulsions and death)?”
The Huffington Post: James Prosek: 'Eels': The World's Most Mysterious Fish
“The eel is the only fish in the world that spawns in the middle of an ocean but spends its adult lives in rivers, lakes and streams (the opposite of most migratory fishes, like salmon and shad).”
The Huffington Post: James Prosek: 'Eels': The World's Most Mysterious Fish
“The lamprey eel is always found fastened at the orifice from which the shad drops her eggs and from there it sucks out the roe while rasping the fish using the blood to wash down the roe in its maw.”
“Traces of disinfectant were found in Chinese eel and mackerel last year, further spurring consumer fears.”
“Look at that!" he said as he released the eel from the spear.”
“An eel is ruled by its oojāk, or chief, and by its dooshmāls, or heads of the different teerehs or branches into which it is divided.”
“The tent-dwelling eel is to be recognised by his bold and manly air and his free and independent look.”
“Fri - stayed at home called eel, jenny and other fun kids i love and miss. i read a few books, ordered another book "on Love" by Alain De Botton, seems really awesome, finished off a bottle of cabernet savigne and a few drinks reading. didn't think about the effects of that until i tried to stand up. then i talked to danielle till i feel asleep at maybe 3 or 4 am. fun times.”
[ we passed out in each other's arms, like a drunked fairytale ] on 12.09.02 @ 12:29 am
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘eel’.
-
Old words
Old words: modern English words that are old according to criteria that are still vague: Either words common to several old languages or words substantially similar in old English. Please add to or...
mother, father, bark, spit, old, fire, this, that, black, thou, to give, hand and 259 more...
-
SCIE - EU nomenclature
All the scientific words found in the official EU nomenclature. For the screening I used Vocabgrabber of the Visual Thesaurus.
abdominal, absorbent, accelerator, accumulator, acebutolol, acetamide, acetanilide, acetate, acetic acid, acetone, acetous, acetyl and 1171 more...
-
fish list
lots and lots of fish, a piscatorial
wetdreamablet, agnathan, ahi, ahuru, ahuruhuru, albacore, albicore, alec, alewife, allice, allis, amberjack and 840 more...
-
Psychology
Chapter 1
rigorous, occurrence, maze, divers, intellectual, expansion, all in all, sensation, introspection, radical, orientation, nurture and 174 more...
-
henryar's list
marmoleum, menagerie, cyan, ochre, pilfer, discombobulate, loquacious, iridescent, amethyst, derelict, botulism, equilibrium and 240 more...
-
IMCO - EU nomenclature
includes words of the "Prodcom list"
abaca, abdominal, abrasive, absorbent, absorber, accelerator, accessory, account book, accumulator, acebutolol, acetaldehyde, acetamide and 4515 more...
-
animals (1 syllable)
A list of common animal names. Keep the list to 1 syllable words.No scientific names. No proper names like 'Fluffy' the elephant.Insects and other creatures (even ficticious) are welcome!You can ...
dog, cat, bear, bee, ass, ape, horse, squid, bug, hare, hawk, pig and 138 more...
-
PECH - marine species
African cuttlefish, Alaska plaice, Alaska pollock, Alaska pollack, walleye pollock, alewife, gaspereau, river herring, sawbelly, allis shad, American angler, goosefish and 994 more...
-
Eels
Words and phrases about eels.
apodal, conger, grig, never served raw, eelpout, eel, eelskin briefcase, eelskin, tribes in Persia ..., sniggling, sniggle, eel spear and 130 more...
-
Words that can be spelled on an upsid...
Imagine my joy when I was wearing my calculator watch and was first introduced to someone named Leslie - there was exactly enough room on the display for 317537.14.
Edit: I've discove...hi, hello, leslie, sheesh, she, bells, hells, hog, boss, goggles, he, bob and 233 more...
-
3-letter Scrabble Words
aah, aal, aas, aba, abo, abs, aby, ace, act, add, ado, ads and 995 more...
-
Words sung by: Belle and Sebastian
beguiling, herbaceous, peninsula, suffragette, damascan, hastening, berserk, overtime, leccy, bestow, swathe, arab strap and 193 more...
-
3 Letter Words
A list of English words that are three letters long.
ace, act, ade, ado, add, ads, age, ago, ail, air, aim, all and 397 more...
-
Hence
Words with definitions that have a "hence" in them.
hanger, Deet, tripe, spindlelegs, fiddle, store, pluck, snap, villain, link, comedy, particular and 410 more...
-
Animals
pig, camel, ant, ape, donkey, badger, bat, beaver, bee, cat, dog, cow and 82 more...
-
recent
Friends, of, today, are, not, only, interested, molar, Whistles, armpit, stinks, spotted and 26 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for eel.

yarb 'And it might have been the Thirties all over again, his cabin jammed, flowers everywhere and the most agreeable urban din, Victoria's man eeling his way through the hubbub with the champagne...'
- W.M. Spackman, An Armful of Warm Girl Jan 2, 2012
bilby
I don't mind eels
Except as meals.
And the way they feels.
- Ogden Nash, 'The Eel'. Apr 12, 2009
Prolagus She had to pose for life for all the scholars of art
She didn’t feel funny, she didn’t feel bad
Peeling away everything she had
She had the grace of an eel, sleek and stark
As the shadows played tricks on the girl in the dark.
(Sukie in the graveyard, by Belle and Sebastian) Sep 5, 2008
oroboros Lee in reverse. Nov 2, 2007
chained_bear See ostrich fern for additional interesting eel-based conversation. Oct 21, 2007
reesetee Because we can stop now if you want.
Feb 19, 2007
chained_bear I'm not nervous. Feb 19, 2007
reesetee "She doesn't get eaten by the eels at this time."
"What?"
"The eel doesn't get her...I'm explaining to you because you looked nervous." Feb 19, 2007
kad inconceivable! Feb 19, 2007
uselessness He's right on top of us!! Feb 19, 2007
seanahan Probably some local fisherman, out for a pleasure cruise, at night... in eel-infested waters... Feb 19, 2007
uselessness "Do you know what that sound is, highness? Those are the shrieking eels! If you don't believe me, just wait. They always grow louder when they're about to feed on human flesh! If you swim back now, I promise no harm will come to you. I doubt you'll get such an offer from the eels." Feb 19, 2007