Moray Eel
/ˈmʌreɪ iːl/noun
A long, snake-like marine fish of the family Muraenidae, found in warm seas.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Ancient Greek *mōraína* (a kind of eel), which passed through Latin into later European languages long before modern English fixed the spelling.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μόραινα (móraina)
“a type of eel or sea eel”
Latin
Latin
muraena
“a moray eel”
Old French
Old French
morei / moré
“a moray eel”
Middle English
English
morey / moray
“a moray eel”
Modern English
English
moray eel
“the common name for a family of elongated marine eels”