eel
eel — noun
- eelsingular
- eelsplural
1. A fish with a very long thin body that looks like a snake. Some kinds of eel are
A fish with a very long thin body that looks like a snake. Some kinds of eel are caught and cooked as food.
Emiko bought grilled eel at the night market in Osaka and ate it with rice.
collocation: grilled eel, served with rice
A thick black eel wriggled out of the net and flopped onto the boat deck.
Diego had never seen an eel before he visited the aquarium in Valencia.
Fatima watched the eel slide through the rocks and vanish into the dark water.
Kwame's grandmother cooked eel in a clay pot with tomatoes and hot peppers.
常見錯誤
eel — verb
- eelpresent simple I / you / we / they
- eels3rd person singular
- eeling-ing form
- eeledpast simple
1. to go fishing with the aim of catching eels, often using nets or special traps s
to go fishing with the aim of catching eels, often using nets or special traps set in rivers or streams
Mateo and his uncle eel in the shallow creeks near their village every autumn.
intransitive: eel + in + location
The old fishermen used to eel along the riverbank after the heavy summer rains.
Jun's father taught him to eel with a long bamboo pole and a small hook.
Local fishermen eel at night, wading into the cold water with lanterns and hand nets.
Amara's grandfather still eels in the same stretch of river he fished as a boy.
文法句型
eel + in/along + location phrase
用法筆記
Rare and regional. Found mainly in dialects of eastern England and parts of the United States. Not used in everyday conversation.
2. to use live or dead eels as bait when fishing for larger fish such as bass or ca
to use live or dead eels as bait when fishing for larger fish such as bass or catfish
Beatriz and her brothers eel when they fish for big catfish in the deep river channel.
intransitive: eel + for + target fish
The old angler showed Chiara how to eel for striped bass off the rocky coast.
Hakim prefers to eel rather than use plastic lures when the water turns muddy after storms.
Tariq and his crew eel with small live eels hooked through the tail to keep the bait alive.
Svetlana's grandfather taught her to eel, saying the big pike could never resist a live eel.
文法句型
eel + for + target fish
用法筆記
Even more specialised than sense 1. Most speakers would say 'use eels as bait' rather than using the verb 'eel' in this way.
3. to move through a space or crowd in a smooth winding way, often quietly so as no
to move through a space or crowd in a smooth winding way, often quietly so as not to be noticed
Ingrid eeled her way past the bouncers and slipped into the packed nightclub without a ticket.
transitive: eel + one's way + past + obstacle
The thief eeled through the narrow gap between the fence and the wall without a sound.
Naledi watched the snake eel across the garden path and vanish into the flower bed.
Dmitri eeled forward through the shallow water, keeping his body low to avoid being seen.
The politician eeled out of answering the question by changing the subject with a smile.
- slither
describes the physical movement but lacks the sneaky or evasive connotation of 'eel'
- worm
'worm one's way' implies gaining something through persistence or flattery, while 'eel' emphasises smooth, stealthy movement
- weave
suggests moving side to side through obstacles but is more neutral — does not carry the secretive tone of 'eel'
文法句型
eel + one's way + through/past + obstacle
eel + through/past + obstacle
用法筆記
Can describe physical movement (slipping through a tight space) or metaphorical evasion (avoiding a difficult situation). Compare with 'worm one's way', which implies flattery or persistence rather than smooth stealth.