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 called: lamper eel. See also sea lamprey
Word origin
C13: from Old French lamproie, from Late Latin lamprēda; origin obscure
lamprey in American English
(ˈlæmpri)
nounWord forms: pluralˈlampreys
any of an order (Petromyzoniformes) of jawless fishes with a funnel-shaped, sucking mouth surrounded by rasping teeth with which it bores into the flesh of other fishes to suck their blood