any voracious marine coastal eel of the family Muraenidae, esp Muraena helena, marked with brilliant patterns and colours
Word origin
C17: from Portuguese moréia, from Latin mūrēna, from Greek muraina
Moray in British English1
(ˈmʌrɪ)
noun
a council area and historical county of NE Scotland: part of Grampian region from 1975 to 1996: mainly hilly, with the Cairngorm mountains in the South Administrative centre: Elgin. Pop: 87 460 (2003 est). Area: 2238 sq km (874 sq miles)
Former name: Elgin
Moray in British English2
or Murray (ˈmʌrɪ)
noun
1st Earl of, title of James Stuart. ?1531–70, regent of Scotland (1567–70) following the abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots, his half-sister. He defeated Mary and Bothwell at Langside (1568); assassinated by a follower of Mary
Moray in American English
(ˈmɜri)
administrative division of NE Scotland: formerly a county & district
moray in American English
(ˈmɔreɪ; mɔˈreɪ; məˈreɪ)
US
noun
any of a family (Muraenidae, order Anguilliformes) of voracious eels of warm seas, characterized by brilliant coloring and found esp. among coral reefs: the Mediterranean moray is valued as a food fish
: in full moray eel
Word origin
Port moreia < L muraena, kind of fish < Gr myraina