goldfish

American  

[gohld-fish] / ˈgoʊldˌfɪʃ /

noun

• goldfish,
  plural
• goldfishes
  plural

1. a small, usually yellow or orange fish, Carassius auratus, of the carp family, native to China, bred in many varieties and often kept in fishbowls and pools.

2. garibaldi.

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goldfish British  

/ ˈɡəʊldˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. a freshwater cyprinid fish, Carassius auratus, of E Europe and Asia, esp China, widely introduced as a pond or aquarium fish. It resembles the carp and has a typically golden or orange-red coloration

2. any of certain similar ornamental fishes, esp the golden orfe See orfe

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• goldfish
  plural
• goldfishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of goldfish

First recorded in 1690–1700; gold + fish

Explanation

A goldfish is a small, freshwater member of the carp family. If you have a pet that swims around in a glass bowl, chances are good it's a goldfish. Although goldfish are named for their brilliant golden color, they've been carefully bred for thousands of years to look that way. Their original carp ancestors were silvery-gray, with the occasional gold mutation. During China's Tang dynasty, they were often kept in ponds; after being put into small containers indoors, goldfish evolved to their smaller size. They can grow much larger when they're released in the wild, and goldfish are considered an invasive species in many parts of the world today.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

goldfish goldfishes

But I think Messi would worry about taking his family back into a goldfish bowl.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

In both environments, goldfish caused substantial ecological disruption.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

So far, agency staff have caught 15 goldfish while a child caught another, and they are hoping the remaining four can be removed from the lake.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

Like every year, Tehran’s Tajrish Square was crammed with stalls piled high with hyacinth, garlic and sprouts, while some featured mini-pools holding tiny goldfish, all traditional elements of the haft-sin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

And instead of a fierce dragon to slay, a huge, curious goldfish mouths the end of the wizard’s hat.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord

He even stopped for tea at the Japanese garden, throwing bits of sweetened rice-flour cakes to the goldfishes in their chocolate-colored pond near the tea pavilion.

From Broken to the Plow by Charles Caldwell Dobie

Living goldfishes or other fishes in small aquaria for individual study and a few fishes in a large aquarium where they have considerable freedom of motion.

From A Guide for the Study of Animals by Frederic Lucas

There were also a great many goldfishes in a little pond; and Birdie watched them darting through the water, and thought how nice it would be to have some of them at home.

From The Nursery, May 1873, Vol. XIII. A Monthly Magazine for Youngest People by Various

The prettiest object in the saloon was a tiny fountain, which threw up its feathery jet through the counter, and sparkled down again into an oval basin, or lakelet, containing several goldfishes.

From The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne

But, more than this, there were a score of large goldfishes swimming about in the tank, their brilliant scales reflecting back the light that came in from top and sides.

From Joe Strong, the Boy Fish or Marvelous Doings in a Big Tank by Vance Barnum