guppy

American  

[guhp-ee] / ˈgʌp i /

noun

plural

guppies

1. a small, freshwater topminnow, Poecilia reticulata, often kept in aquariums.

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guppy British  

/ ˈɡʌpɪ /

noun

1. a small brightly coloured freshwater viviparous cyprinodont fish, Lebistes reticulatus, of N South America and the Caribbean: a popular aquarium fish

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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

That’s in part because it also comes with a new programming language known as Guppy that makes it easier for engineers to build the algorithms to run on it, Hazra said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

Guppy said she learned that members of her Episcopalian church, St. Stephen’s Hollywood, had been detained during the raid of the Ambiance Apparel factory in downtown L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025

“You just feel like something’s being torn away,” said David Guppy, who lives in the area.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2022

Disaster loomed again, however, when a recording surfaced of a telephone call between Johnson and his old Oxford friend, Darius Guppy, who had been demanding the private address of a News of the World journalist.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2022

The love-sick Guppy is seen in a kneeling posture, while declaring to Miss Summerson the burning passion that consumes him.

From 'Phiz' (Hablot Knight Browne), a Memoir. by Kitton, Fred. G.