• Eely

    Pronunciation

    • Rhymes: -iːli

    Origin

    eel + -y

    Full definition of eely

    Adjective

    eely

    1. Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery
      • 1850, George Manville Fenn, Menhardoc Chapter , The great ugly sharky fish was hooked forward by Josh and placed in a great basket, where it lay writhing its eely tail, and flapping its wing-like fins as the boat slowly progressed, and bait after bait was replaced, many being untouched, the thornback, skate, or ray being the only fish taken.
      • 1904, George Manville Fenn, The Ocean Cat's Paw Chapter , That was a great long eely thing; but Joe Cross here says this was more like a great turtle, with flippers and a long neck, and a head like a snake."
      • 2004, August 13, Neil Tesser, Lou Donaldson Quartet with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Veteran alto saxist Lou Donaldson faces the audience with a raised eyebrow and a toothy grin, and his horn's high-pitched, eely timbre--which still has plenty of the grease that made him a soul-jazz hero in the 60s and 70s--complements his squeaky voice.
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