guppy

noun

gup·​py ˈgə-pē 

plural guppies

: a small bony fish (Poecilia reticulata of the family Poeciliidae) especially of Barbados, Trinidad, and Venezuela that is a live-bearer and is often kept as an aquarium fish

Illustration of guppy

• 1 female
• 2 male

Examples of guppy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In recent years, researchers have created machines imitating the look and movement of bats, coyotes, falcons, rats, guppies, bees, and even cockroaches. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Aug. 2025

The Pacers must realize the same: the Knicks are big fish in a big market, not guppies in small pond. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025

This study provides critical insights into how chronic exposure to common pharmaceutical pollutants and their metabolites can fundamentally alter important traits that fish — not just guppies — rely upon for survival and reproduction. —Grrlscientist, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024

If a guppy asks a question, the Little Fish pipe in with the right response. —Amanda Rock, Parents, 30 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

R. J. L. Guppy †1916 Trinidadian naturalist

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for guppy

• puppy
• yuppie

Kids Definition

guppy

noun

gup·​py ˈgəp-ē 

plural guppies

: a small tropical minnow often kept in aquariums