guppy

American  

[guhp-ee] / ˈgʌp i /

noun

guppies plural

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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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• guppies
  plural

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

He ambled up to a fish tank and gnawed on a container of guppy food.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2023

Like I’m just the whitest, translucent little guppy human being.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2022

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

I didn’t see the usual darting of neon tetras, and the guppy tanks were all dark.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King