gambusia

gam·bu·sia

G0028400 (găm-byo͞o′zhə)n. Any of various small live-bearing fishes of the genus Gambusia of the Americas, which are popular in home aquariums and have become widely naturalized because of their use for mosquito control.

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[New Latin Gambusia, genus name, coined (perhaps in reference to their small size) in 1851 by Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey y Aloy from Cuban Spanish colloquial gambusino, nothing (as in pescar gambusinos, to go on a snipe hunt, literally "to fish for gambusinos"), variant of Spanish gamusino, imaginary creature that children or naive persons are sent to hunt as a practical joke, object of a snipe hunt; perhaps akin to Old French gabuser, to dupe, from gab, mockery, jeering, probably from Old Norse gabb; akin to gabba, to scoff; see gab.]

gambusia

(ɡæmˈbjuːzɪə) n1. (Animals) a member of a genus of small primarily freshwater fish of the family Poeciliidae, widely used in aquaria2. (Animals) the mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

gam•bu•sia

(gæmˈbyu ʒə, -ʒi ə)

n., pl. -sias. any fish of the genus Gambusia, comprising small livebearers that feed on aquatic insect larvae and are used to control mosquitoes. [1900–05; < New Latin, alter. of Cuban Sp gambusino; see -ia]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Gambusia - mosquitofish genus Gambusiafish genus - any of various genus of fishfamily Poeciliidae, Poeciliidae - topminnowsGambusia affinis, mosquitofish - silvery topminnow with rows of black spots of tropical North America and West Indies; important in mosquito control

Translations

гамбузия