electric eel
nounDefinition of electric eel
: a large eel-shaped fish (Electrophorus electricus) of the Orinoco and Amazon basins that is capable of giving a severe shock with its electric organs
Examples of electric eel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When, through the nighttime murk of the Amazon River, an electric eel locates a feeder fish, what happens next is instantaneous: A jolt of electricity surges through the fish’s nerves. — New York Times, "The Rise of the Spice Girls Generation," 19 July 2019 Plants and animals featured in the exhibit include: Venus fly traps, pitcher plants, the panther chameleon, naked mole rats, leaf-cutter ants, electric eels, and the giant Pacific octopus, among others. — Megan Becka, cleveland.com, "Akron Zoo to host 'Why So Curious' events in February," 24 Jan. 2018 The electrocytes of an electric eel are large and flat, with hundreds stacked together horizontally. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "Electric Eels Inspire A New Type of Battery," 17 Jan. 2018 The organ within the electric eel is a series of ionized tissue layers that can produce an electric charge when excited. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Electric Eel-Inspired Generators Could Keep Artificial Organs Alive in Humans," 13 Dec. 2017 But even now, the electric eel isn’t done inspiring scientists. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "A New Kind of Soft Battery, Inspired by the Electric Eel," 13 Dec. 2017 Essentially, that would turn humans into something closer to an electric eel. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "A New Kind of Soft Battery, Inspired by the Electric Eel," 13 Dec. 2017 Most people would do everything possible to avoid getting zapped by an electric eel. — National Geographic, "See a Biologist Brave Eel Shocks in the Name of Science," 14 Sep. 2017 Few people would consider willingly getting shocked by an electric eel, but one bold biologist subjected himself repeatedly to the zaps in the name of science. — Ben Panko, Smithsonian, "How Strong Is a Zap From an Electric Eel? Shockingly Strong," 18 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electric eel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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