- a tank, bowl, or pool in which aquatic animals and plants are kept for pleasure, study, or exhibition
- a building housing a collection of aquatic life, as for exhibition
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
a•quar•i•um /əˈkwɛriəm/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -i•ums, -i•a
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- /-iə/.USA pronunciation
- a glass-sided, water-filled tank in which fish or other underwater animals or plants are kept.
- a building or institution in which fish or other underwater animals or plants are kept for exhibit and study.
a•quar•i•um
(ə kwâr′ē əm),USA pronunciation n., pl. a•quar•i•ums, a•quar•i•a
a•quar′i•al, adj.
-
(ə kwâr′ē ə).USA pronunciation
- a glass-sided tank, bowl, or the like, in which fish or other living aquatic animals or plants are kept.
- a building or institution in which fish or other aquatic animals or plants are kept for exhibit, study, etc.
- 1840–50; blend of, blended Latin aquārius of or for water (aqu(a) water + -ārius -ary) and vivarium; compare -arium
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
aquarium /əˈkwɛərɪəm/ n ( pl -riums, -ria /-rɪə/)
'aquarium' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
angelfish
- aquarist
- -arium
- dolphinarium
- goldfish
- gourami
- guppy
- jewelfish
- killifish
- oceanarium
- orfe
- rasbora
- redfin
- tubifex
- xanthochroism
- aquarelle
- black molly
- cardinal tetra
- dechlorinate
- neon tetra
- parrot's-feather
- pearl danio
- terrarium
- tropical aquarium