Goldfish

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Goldfish

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

GOLD-fish  /ˈɡəʊldfɪʃ/

Definition

A small freshwater fish (Carassius auratus) of the carp family, typically orange-red in colour, kept as a pet in bowls, ponds, and aquariums; native to eastern Asia and selectively bred over centuries.

Plain meaning

A goldfish is the orange-red freshwater fish kept as a pet in tanks and garden ponds — one of the world's most commonly kept fish, bred in China for over a thousand years.

Register

Neutral and widely known. Goldfish is a familiar word across all registers. The goldfish bowl metaphor — for a life lived in public, without privacy — is a common figurative use. The goldfish memory myth — that goldfish have a three-second memory — is persistent but false.