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Definition of snipe eel
snipe eel
Plural:snipe eels
snipe eel Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A slender, deep-sea eel of the family Nemichthyidae, known for its extremely elongated body and very long, outwardly curving, beak-like jaws used to sweep through the water to catch crustacean prey.
Example
"During the deep-ocean submersible dive, the researchers caught a rare glimpse of a snipe eel suspended motionless in the water column."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 19th century from 'snipe' (a wading bird) and 'eel', referring to the fish's long, slender, bird-like jaws that curve outward.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Snipe eel. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/snipe eel