English

Adjective

eely ‎(comparative eelier, superlative eeliest)

1. Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery
   • 1850, George Manville Fenn, Menhardoc:

     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:

     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”, in Chicago Reader:

     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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