American eel

noun

: a yellow to greenish-brown catadromous eel (Anguilla rostrata) that is lighter below, has 103 to 111 vertebrae, is found in fresh and coastal waters along the Atlantic coasts of North America, and is held to spawn in or near the Sargasso Sea

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of American eel was in 1807

Dictionary Entries Near American eel

Cite this Entry

“American eel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American%20eel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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