moray eel

noun

: any of numerous often brightly colored eels (family Muraenidae) that have sharp teeth capable of inflicting a severe bite, that occur in warm seas, and that include a chiefly Mediterranean eel (Muraena helena) sometimes used for food

called also moray

Examples of moray eel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Built on the side of Le Rocher, Monaco’s perched old town, the museum features more than 6,000 species, from Mediterranean octopuses and moray eels to tropical sharks and sea horses. Lane Nieset, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 Laura Rink, associate director of operations for Heal the Bay Aquarium, greets me with a friendly smile and ushers me inside, past undersea murals and aquaria housing moon jellies, sharks, and moray eels. Jennifer Adler, Vox, 7 July 2024 Living here are shoals of technicolor fish, some the size of a fingernail—like the baby clownfish hiding in gently swaying anemone—others larger than a human, like the giant moray eel coiled around net fire coral. Jessica Vincent, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2023 While many coral reef residents, such as groupers and moray eels, work together when hunting for their mutual benefit, the trumpetfish’s sneaky shadowing of larger fish seems to be solely for its own benefit. Annie Roth, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for moray eel 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moray eel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese moréia, from Latin muraena, from Greek myraina

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of moray eel was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near moray eel

Cite this Entry

“Moray eel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moray%20eel. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

moray eel

noun
mo·​ray eel mə-ˈrā- How to pronounce moray eel (audio) ˈmȯr-ā- How to pronounce moray eel (audio)
: any of numerous often brightly colored eels that have sharp teeth capable of biting and live in warm seas

called also moray

More from Merriam-Webster on moray eel

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