goldfish

American  

[gohld-fish] / ˈgoʊldˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

goldfish,

plural

goldfishes

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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Etymology

Origin of goldfish

First recorded in 1690–1700; gold + fish

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

One of the features of a culture with the brains of a goldfish is that it also has the memory of a goldfish.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

To make eating fun, we serve them chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs and crackers shaped like goldfish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Training LLMs to trade is “a little like trying to get a goldfish to continue its train of thought.”

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

The Westminster Mall opened in 1974 on the former site of the world’s largest goldfish farm, according to city documents.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

With a pop, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan