koi

American

[koi] / kɔɪ /

noun

any of various colorful cultivated forms of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, apparently originating in Japan and other parts of eastern temperate Asia.

koi British

/ kɔɪ /

noun

any of various ornamental forms of the common carp

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of koi

1720–30; < Japanese, earlier kowi < kofi, Old Japanese kwofi < *kwopi carp

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.

That “sushi” was actually as many as 20 unsuspecting koi in Leslie Carlson’s fish pond.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

Four heat exchangers are submerged in the 1.7 metre deep water, which is also home to dozens of koi carp and tench – fish that have their own role in the operation.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2025

The home features a “state-of-the-art gym and wellness area,” a home theater, a catering kitchen, a tennis court, a vegetable garden, a chicken coop, and a koi pond.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 14, 2025

Saturday’s fishing expedition occurred about a week after Duarte contacted police because she had begun noticing that the number of koi in her pond seemed to be dwindling.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2025

There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023