Moray

//ˈmɒ.ɹeɪ// name, noun

name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of the large cosmopolitan carnivorous eels of the family Muraenidae.
  2. 2
    family of brightly colored voracious eels of warm coastal waters; generally nonaggressive to humans but larger species are dangerous if provoked wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A historical county in northern Scotland, absorbed into Grampian Region in 1975.
  2. 2
    A local government district in Grampian Region from 1975 until Grampian Region's abolition in 1996.
  3. 3
    A council area of Scotland, one of 32 created in 1996.
  4. 4
    An unincorporated community in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States.

Example

More examples

"Tom's hand was bitten by a moray eel."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Portuguese moreia, from Latin murēna (“sea eel, lamprey”), from Ancient Greek σμύραινα (smúraina), from σμύρος (smúros, “sea eel”).

Etymology 2

From Medieval Latin Moravia, Morauia, from Scottish Gaelic Moireibh, Moireabh, Moreb, ultimately from Proto-Celtic *mori (“sea”) + *trebā (“settlement”).

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.