lamprey

Meaning

Any long slender primitive eel-like freshwater and saltwater fish of the order Petromyzontiformes, having a sucking mouth with rasping teeth but no jaw.

Synonyms

lamprey eel

lamper eel

eel

sea lamprey

lampern

eel sucker

great sea lamprey

green lamprey

green sea lamprey

spanker-eel

marine lamprey

nannie nine eyes

nine eyes

lamper

river lamprey

Hyphenated as

lam‧prey

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlæm.pɹi/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: laumprei

In summary

From Middle English laumprei, from Old French lampreie (modern French lamproie), from Medieval Latin lampreda, possibly alteration of Late Latin lampetra (“lamprey”), whose further origin is unknown, though it is traditionally thought to be a combination of lambō (“I lick, lap”) + petra (“stone, rock”). Doublet of limpet, which derives from Latin.