'eel-like' originates from the English word 'eel,' combined with the suffix '-like,' which means 'resembling or similar to.'

'eel' comes from the Old English word 'ǣl,' and the suffix '-like' has been used in English since the Middle Ages to form adjectives indicating similarity.

Initially, it meant 'resembling an eel in appearance or movement,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.