fishbowl

Or fish bowl

[fish-bohl]

noun

1. a glass bowl for goldfish, snails, etc.

2. a place, job, or condition in which one's activities are open to public view or scrutiny.

fishbowl

/ ˈfɪʃˌbəʊl /

noun

1. another name for goldfish bowl

Word History and Origins

Origin of fishbowl¹

First recorded in 1905–10; fish + bowl ¹

Example Sentences

Michael pretended to be intensely interested in the fishbowl full of entries.

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It’s made her feel both proud and anxious, she said — and a bit like being in a fishbowl.

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In some paintings, viewers are looking at the world through a microwave door, a fishbowl or a security camera lens.

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“There’s a fishbowl by the cash register where you can put your business card for a chance to win a free lunch. Half the cards are from Sinclair people.”

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She checked the security cameras at her home, noticing that a few windows opened and things fell off the shelf — but the biggest impact was her fishbowl: “My poor fish experienced a little tsunami.”

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