lamprey

[ lam-pree ]

noun

, plural lam·preys.

1. any eellike marine or freshwater fish of the order Petromyzoniformes, having a circular, suctorial mouth with horny teeth for boring into the flesh of other fishes to feed on their blood.

lamprey

/ ˈlæmprɪ /

noun

1. any eel-like cyclostome vertebrate of the family Petromyzonidae, having a round sucking mouth for clinging to and feeding on the blood of other animals Also calledlamper eel See also sea lamprey

Word History and Origins

Origin of lamprey¹

1250–1300; Middle English lampreye < Anglo-French *lampreie ( Old French lamproie ) < Late Latin lamprēda; replacing Old English lamprede < Medieval Latin lampreda

Word History and Origins

Origin of lamprey¹

C13: from Old French lamproie, from Late Latin lamprēda; origin obscure

Example Sentences

Surprisingly, it doesn't use these teeth to suck blood like most lamprey species -- it's non-parasitic.

From Science Daily

As larvae, the Australian brook lamprey lives buried in the bottom of streams for around three years, filter-feeding.

From Science Daily

To unravel the mystery of Queensland lampreys, Dr Carpenter-Bundhoo teamed up with David Moffatt from DESI, who had found isolated populations of lamprey in other Queensland streams.

From Science Daily

Together, they confirmed reports of Australian brook lamprey in Queensland, including as far north as Rockhampton!

From Science Daily

With this enormous extension of its geographic range, Australian brook lamprey becomes the only lamprey species in the world to live in truly tropical waters.

From Science Daily