Wiktionary

eel

See also: Eel, e'el, eʼel, eel-, and -eel

English edit

 
an eel

Etymology edit

From Middle English el, from Old English ǣl (“eel”), from Proto-West Germanic *āl, from Proto-Germanic *ēlaz (“eel”), which is of unknown origin.

Cognates:

Cognate with West Frisian iel (“eel”), Dutch aal (“eel”), German Low German Aal, Ool (“eel”), German Aal (“eel”), Swedish, Danish and Norwegian ål (“eel”).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

eel (plural eels)

  1. Any freshwater or marine fish of the order Anguilliformes, which are elongated and resemble snakes.
  2. A European eel (Anguilla anguilla).
  3. Someone or something that is sneaky and/or hard to catch.
    That Dennis is a right eel, he always seems to slip away from the scene at the right time.
    • 2003, Catherine Anderson, Only by Your Touch:
      His expression when incredulous. "Why would you think that?" He was a slippery little eel.
    • 2004, F. Scott Spencer, Dancing Girls, Loose Ladies, and Women of the Cloth, page 26:
      Philosophers and literary critics from ancient times, along with social scientists, physicians, theologians, and biblical scholars more recently, have tried to get a tentative handle, if not a firm grasp, on this "slippery eel" of humor and laughter.
    • 2016, Jody Hedlund, Newton and Polly: A Novel of Amazing Grace, page 131:
      John scowled after the dog. "Never fear, my lady. I shall get the sneaky, slippery eel yet."

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Anguilla anguilla — see European eel

See also edit

Verb edit

eel (third-person singular simple present eels, present participle eeling, simple past and past participle eeled)

  1. To fish for eels.
  2. To move with a sinuous motion like that of an eel.

References edit

Anagrams edit

Estonian edit

Noun edit

eel

  1. adessive singular of esi

Ingrian edit

Spatial inflection of eel
↗︎○ allative eelle
○ adessive eel
○↘︎ ablative eelt

Pronunciation edit

Postposition edit

eel (+ genitive)

  1. before, in front of (of location)

Noun edit

eel

  1. adessive singular of esi

References edit

  • Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 38

Middle English edit

Noun edit

eel

  1. Alternative form of el

Mopan Maya edit

Verb edit

eel

  1. to know, to have knowledge of

References edit

  • Hofling, Charles Andrew (2011). Mopan Maya–Spanish–English Dictionary, University of Utah Press.
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