rainbow fish
1
3.7
- noun
- /ˈreɪnboʊ fɪʃ/
:
pez arcoíris
- The aquarium was filled with different species of rainbow fish that dazzled the visitors.
Examples
-
Hey, an Australian rainbow fish.
-
She added several rainbow fish to her tank, and their colors brightened the room.
-
In the clear waters of the lagoon, you could see a school of rainbow fish swimming gracefully.
Synonyms
7
2.5
A small bright freshwater fish often kept in a home aquarium
A small freshwater fish from South America and the West Indies often kept in aquariums
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning (a brightly colored fish) is directly and transparently derived from combining 'rainbow' (multi-coloured) with 'fish' (aquatic animal); the phrase simply describes a fish with rainbow-like colours. This adjective+noun compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer this sense.
Etymology
Rainbow fish gets its name from the fish's bright, shiny colors; the scales and stripes look like a small rainbow on a fish. That's why rainbow fish means 'a small, brightly colored freshwater fish' often kept in aquariums.