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

A lot more cautious than the other guppies, Nonny would rather talk about what is going on than actually do it. — Amanda Rock, Parents, 30 July 2024

The guppies regularly win, too. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2025

In a classic experiment, guppies, following their neighbors, ended up schooling behind a robotic fish that guided them toward food. — R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026

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

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