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Glite Dictionary
freshwater eel

freshwater eel

1 3.6
A long fish that lives in rivers and returns to the sea to lay eggs
  • noun
  • /ˈfrɛʃˌwɔːtər il/
translation icon : anguila de agua dulce
  • The restaurant serves delicious sushi with freshwater eel and avocado.

Examples

  • TRIVIA FOR TODAY: Some species of freshwater eels go to the Sargasso Sea in the middle of the Atlantic to spawn.

    Blog text (6)

  • At the market, I found fresh live freshwater eel for sale at a great price.

  • Some chefs prefer using freshwater eel in their dishes because of its unique flavor.

Synonyms

eel
vsfreshwater eel
62 1.0

A long, thin fish with a snake-like body that lives in rivers or the sea

is narrower noting freshwater adults sea migration to spawn and market use
common eel
vsfreshwater eel
  • UK
3.8

A fish that lives in rivers as an adult and swims to the sea to breed

has identical meaning but uses a different common name

Surface Forms

freshwater eel singular
freshwater eels plural

Morphology

freshwater + eel

The meaning is directly compositional: 'freshwater' (non-salty water) + 'eel' (long fish) yields an eel associated with freshwater. This noun-compound pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Freshwater eel is a name made of freshwater (water that is 'not salty') and eel, a long, snake-like fish. These eels live in rivers and lakes for most of their lives and only go to the sea to lay eggs, so the name tells you they are the eels that live in 'fresh' water.