elver

American  

[el-ver] / ˈɛl vər /

noun

1. a young eel, especially one that is migrating up a stream from the ocean.

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elver British  

/ ˈɛlvə /

noun

1. a young eel, esp one migrating up a river from the sea See also leptocephalus

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Etymology

Origin of elver

First recorded in 1630–40; variant of ellfare, literally, “eel-journey”; see origin at eel, fare

Example Sentences

Maine has had an elver fishery for decades, but the state’s eels became more valuable in the early 2010s, in part, because foreign sources dried up.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2024

The elver quota could be increased in 2019.

From Washington Times • May 9, 2018

Sheldon, 71, is a key player in Maine’s legal elver market.

From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2017

“During the peak of elver fishing last year fishermen commonly made $3,000 or $4,000 a night,” says McVane, a 23-year-old, third-generation lobsterman.

From Scientific American • Aug. 5, 2014

The young elver, at least a year old, which makes its way from the open sea to the estuaries and rivers.

From The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4) A Plain Story Simply Told by Thomson, J. Arthur