NYT Dictionary
ELVER
/ˈɛlvə(ɹ)/NounEL-verel-ver · 2 syllablesAdvanced/Professional
Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2026
Meaning
A young eel.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
Variant of eelfare, originally "brood of young eels", from Middle English *elfare, *elvare, from el (“eel”) + fare (“group of journeyers”). Equivalent to eel + fare. Liberman instead connects the second element of this word to a putative Old English suffix *-for(e), but there is no need to posit such a suffix when the traditional etymology suffices. Furthermore, such a suffix is not securely attested, and the spelling of the word's earliest attestation (as yele fare, ell vare) implies Middle English /aː/.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle: