guppy

/ˈɡʌpi/

Etymology

From a name mistakenly assigned, Girardinus guppii, after biologist Robert J. L. Guppy, to previously assigned Poecilia reticulata.

name

  1. A surname.

noun

  1. A tiny freshwater fish, Poecilia reticulata, popular in home aquariums, that usually has a plain body and black or dark blue tail for the females and a more colorful tail for the males. The guppies can vary in size, but males are 4 cm (1.6”) and females are 7 cm (2.8”).“Fred kept a tank of guppies by the windowsill.”
  2. Any tiny fish.“Throw that one back; it’s just a guppy!”
  3. A tube holding paintballs before they are loaded into the gun.“I reached into my pack and grabbed a guppy to reload. Pouring in the contents, I kept my eyes ahead as I was supposed to do.”
  4. A hold across the palm of the hand rather than the fingertips.
  5. Acanthocephalus guppii
  6. Acanthocephalus reticulatus