Lamprey
/ˈlæm.preɪ/noun
A jawless, eel-like fish with a circular sucking mouth and rows of teeth.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes from a Latin name for a fish thought to cling and rasp at stones, which is why the root behind it is tied to “licking” and “stone.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leib-
“to lick; to adhere”
Latin
Latin
lambere
“to lick”
Late Latin
Latin
lampreda
“lamprey; a fish name associated with licking stones”
Old French
Old French
lampreie
“lamprey”
Middle English
English
lamprey
“lamprey”