sand eel

English

Wikispecies

Alternative forms

• sand-eel, sandeel

Etymology

From Middle English sandeel, sandell, sandel, equivalent to sand +‎ eel. Cognate with German Sandaal (“sand eel”), Danish sandål (“sand eel”).

Noun

sand eel (plural sand eels)

1. Any of various species of slim fish, resembling eels, especially of the family Ammodytidae.
   • 2018, Louise Tickle, The Guardian, 20 June:

     In short, this means sandeels, the small, oily fish that are a staple diet for many seabirds, need to be in the right place at the right time for puffins to be able to feed their chicks.

Synonyms

• sandling

Translations

fish of the family Ammodytidae — see sand lance

Anagrams

• leadens