goldfish

noun

gold·​fish ˈgōl(d)-ˌfish How to pronounce goldfish (audio)
: a small usually golden-orange Asian cyprinid fish (Carassius auratus) often kept as an aquarium and pond fish

Examples of goldfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other items included in the spread are a mirror and a candle which represent light, gold coins for prosperity, eggs for fertility, a bowl of goldfish for life, and a sour orange in a bowl of water symbolizing planet Earth, explains event planner Lily Aroosi, a native of Iran. Ray Chavez, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 The program was called Operation Goldfish, which derived from a joke about a Russian-speaking goldfish who offers two Estonians wishes in exchange for its freedom. Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Tristan can be seen sitting next to his blue cake, which is decorated with seaweed, coral and goldfish. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 Someone has to keep track of when the goldfish snacks run out and add them to the cart too! Sugey Palomares, Parents, 26 Jan. 2024 The cat shatters the fourth wall, as cats will; Sol receives a goldfish named Nugget, which doesn’t bode well; a shy scorpion scurries into a crack; and the end credits are punctuated by drawings of various creatures. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2024 Go up to a goldfish and ask for its thoughts on fluid mechanics. Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 13 Feb. 2023 While not all goldfish grow to huge proportions, even the small ones can cause problems and spread disease. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023 According to an article published by Michigan State University, one way people can help prevent the situation from worsening is to refrain from releasing pet goldfish into the wild. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 12 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'goldfish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of goldfish was in 1752

Dictionary Entries Near goldfish

Cite this Entry

“Goldfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goldfish. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

goldfish

noun
gold·​fish -ˌfish How to pronounce goldfish (audio)
: a small usually golden orange fish that is often kept in aquariums or ponds

More from Merriam-Webster on goldfish

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