aquarium

/əˈkwɛriəm/

/əˈkwɛriəm/

Other forms: aquariums; aquaria

Aquarium can either describe a small tank, or an entire building that houses fish and other aquatic life. Your goldfish will probably feel right at home in the aquarium that's sitting on your desk, but a whale would be better off in a big aquarium where people buy tickets to see marine life.

An aquarium can be small enough to fit in the average house, or big enough to house whales and accommodate millions of tourists each year. If you're talking about more than one of those tanks filled with fish and other marine life, you could say aquariums, but aquaria, from the original Latin term, is also an acceptable plural.

Definitions of aquarium

1. noun

   a tank or pool or bowl filled with water for keeping live fish and underwater animals
   synonyms: fish tank, marine museum

   types:

   fish bowl, fishbowl, goldfish bowl

   a transparent bowl in which small fish are kept

   type of:

   storage tank, tank

   a large (usually metallic) vessel for holding gases or liquids

   vivarium

   an indoor enclosure for keeping and raising living animals and plants and observing them under natural conditions
2. noun

   a place where aquatic animals and plants are kept and publicly exhibited
   types:

   Marineland

   a commercial aquarium featuring trained dolphins

   type of:

   facility, installation

   a building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry