guppy
Americannoun
-
guppies
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of guppy
Named after R.J.L. Guppy (1836–1916) of Trinidad, who presented specimens to the British Museum; catalogued under the New Latin name Gerardinus guppyi in 1866
Explanation
A guppy is a tiny, tropical fish that's popular for keeping in small tanks. The freshwater aquarium is your classroom might be full of guppies. Although guppies are native to South America and the tropics, they're now found on every continent except Antarctica. These little fish are so popular in part because they're incredibly adaptable, requiring nothing more than warm fresh water to thrive for up to three years. Guppies get along with other kinds of fish and aren't picky about food. They're named for Robert John Lechmere Guppy, who discovered them in Trinidad in 1866.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He ambled up to a fish tank and gnawed on a container of guppy food.
From New York Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
But I felt like I was a little guppy taken from a small aquarium and put into a big tank.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2023
Make and justify a claim regarding the effect of genetic variation in guppies on the stability of an ecosystem of which the guppy is a member.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Cazale delivers this feckless rant with wide-eyed rage and self-pity, flopping up and down in his lounge chair like a beached guppy.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 13, 2019
As he watched his little guppy, he realized, once again with a shocking and beautiful certainty, that Doddy was related, just as he himself was, to every creature in the animal kingdom.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
The most fundamental tool he describes is an innate “number sense,” as displayed by both humans and some animals, including rats, ants, chickens, chimpanzees and guppies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
This behavior occurs across a range of animals, from guppies to gazelles.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 20, 2023
In her debris-strewn bedroom, Datsenko's pet guppies slowly cruised in their tank, on the floor of which lay a large green catfish.
From Reuters ● Oct. 11, 2022
The home’s concrete terrace is occupied by swimming guppies.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2022
Once the guppies turn into x's and y’s, my contacts fog.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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