[f. EEL + SKIN.] The skin of an eel. † Merchant of eel-skins = ? rag and bone collector. Also attrib., as in eelskin-dress, a tight-fitting dress; eelskin-queue, ? a pig-tail.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 54. A marchaunt of eele skins. A marchaunt without either money or ware.
1595. Shaks., John, I. i. 141. My armes, such eele-skins stuft.
a. 1613. Overbury, Charac., Drunken Dutch-m. (1615), K viii. When hee’s drunke, you may thrust your hand into him like an Eele skinne.
1809. W. Irving, Knickerb. (1848), 306. He directed that he should be carried to his grave with his eelskin queue sticking out of a hole in his coffin.
1881. Miss Braddon, Asphodel, II. 226. Jersey jackets and eel-skin dresses.
1884. Pall Mall Gaz., 15 March, 4/1. A smooth-faced, vicious-looking fellow, dressed in a close cap and eelskin neckcloth.
