Wiktionary

eel

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

English

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An eel

Etymology

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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

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Noun

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eel (plural eels)

  1. Any freshwater 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

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Translations

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Anguilla anguilla — see European eel

See also

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Verb

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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

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Anagrams

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Estonian

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Noun

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eel

  1. adessive singular of esi

Ingrian

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

Pronunciation

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Postposition

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eel (+ genitive)

  1. before, in front of (of location)

Noun

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eel

  1. adessive singular of esi

References

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

Middle English

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Noun

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eel

  1. Alternative form of el

Mopan Maya

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Verb

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eel

  1. to know, to have knowledge of

References

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