# aals

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/aals
Updated: 2026-05-01

## Senses

### 1. plural of aal

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

the plural form of an old word for an eel.

For teachers: the plural inflection of 'aal', a Germanic-derived term for an eel, now largely restricted to historical or dialectal contexts.

- The old fisherman spoke of catching many aals in the river long ago.
- In certain historical texts describing the North Sea trade, one finds references to aals being sold by the barrel alongside other salted fish.

Usage: This plural form is rarely encountered in modern standard English, where 'eels' is the universal term.

Teaching tip: This is an extremely rare form; students should recognize it in historical texts but use 'eels' in all modern contexts.

### 2. law school association

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · American English

a group that represents law schools in the United States.

For teachers: the initialism for the Association of American Law Schools, a non-profit association of 176 law schools.

- The professor traveled to the AALS meeting to discuss new legal research.
- The AALS serves as the primary academic society for law teachers and provides a centralized recruitment service for member institutions.

Usage: Usually written in capital letters as an initialism.

Teaching tip: This is a specialized institutional name used almost exclusively within the American legal education system.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.