tilapia

American

[tuh-lah-pee-uh, -ley-] / təˈlɑ pi ə, -ˈleɪ- /

noun

any freshwater cichlid of the genus Tilapia, of African waters: an important food fish.

tilapia British

/ tɪˈlæpɪə, -ˈleɪ- /

noun

any mouthbrooding cichlid fish of the African freshwater genus Tilapia: used as food fishes

"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 tilapia

First recorded in 1845–50; New Latin; further origin uncertain

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 makes you a salmon rather than a tilapia, only you no longer have to swim upstream.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

He discovered tens of thousands of dead tilapia floating in his ponds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

Although red snapper is faring poorly in the wild, replacing it with tilapia is not helping snapper conservation.

From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024

Thailand had experienced outbreaks of blackchin tilapia in the past, but none has been as widespread as this most recent episode.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2024

In Bangkok's suburbs, crowds have waded in knee-deep waters hoping to catch blackchin tilapia with their plastic basins.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2024

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