ENGLISH
REFERENCE

eel

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈiɫ// UK //ˈiːl// eel

n. a long, thin fish that looks like a snake. You can find them in both fresh and salt water, and some people eat them as a delicacy.

n. a snake-like fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, characterized by an elongated body and the absence of pelvic fins.


SIMPLE

The eel hides among the rocks in the river.

CONTEXTUAL

While snorkeling near the reef, we saw a moray eel peeking out from a small cave.

COMPLEX

The life cycle of the European eel remains a biological mystery, as the adults migrate thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea to spawn before they die.

Usage

The plural form can be 'eel' when referring to the animal as food or a collective group, but 'eels' is standard for individual fish.

Idioms1 entry

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