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

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Etymology

Origin of goldfish

First recorded in 1690–1700; gold + fish

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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

“You can take a break whenever you want,” he said, watching a small goldfish circle a glass bowl on his desk in the Honghub community.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Football in Glasgow's goldfish bowl has a habit of being unnecessarily dramatised, yet there is a case for saying a week in mid-September could have a defining impact on Celtic's season.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

In both environments, goldfish caused substantial ecological disruption.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 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

When I got home I stood by our window and stared at our neighbor’s goldfish for the longest time.

From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez

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

Now it chanced that Lord Lossie himself was in the garden, and, caught also by the rain while feeding some pet goldfishes in a pond, betook himself to the same summer house, following Malcolm.

From Malcolm by George MacDonald

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

I've never herded humming birds or drilled goldfishes in close formation, but I'd take the job cheerfully.

From At Good Old Siwash by George Fitch

There was a slight silence broken by Stella, who said that we were going to get some goldfishes soon.

From The Idyl of Twin Fires by Walter Prichard Eaton

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