aquarium

noun

aquar·​i·​um ə-ˈkwer-ē-əm 

plural aquariums or aquaria ə-ˈkwer-ē-ə 

1

: a container (such as a glass tank) or an artificial pond in which living aquatic animals or plants are kept

2

: an establishment where aquatic organisms are kept and exhibited

Examples of aquarium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From the over the water villa, the ocean is your aquarium. —Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

The River Center Learn all about the Loxahatchee River through exhibits, touch tanks, aquariums, and more through The River Center’s educational programs. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2025

That leadership post with the AZA, a nonprofit group that serves as an accrediting body for zoos and aquariums, was noticed by Houston Zoo leaders. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025

At the top of the page was a glass cube: the clean, sanitized aquarium. —Elif Batuman, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of aquatic vivarium

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing aquarium

• tropical aquarium

Rhymes for aquarium

• herbarium
• ovarium
• puparium
• samarium
• zoarium
• armamentarium
• cerium
• honorarium
• planetarium
• sanitarium

Kids Definition

aquarium

noun

aquar·​i·​um ə-ˈkwar-ē-əm 

-ˈkwer-

plural aquariums or aquaria

-ē-ə

: a container (as a glass tank) in which living water animals or plants are kept

also : an establishment where collections of such animals or plants are kept and shown