Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small Japanese fish (Oryzias latipes) that is commonly found in rice paddies and is often used in biological research or in stocking aquariums.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small Japanese ricefish, popular for use in aquariums.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Japanese : me, eye + -daka, combining form of taka-, stem of takai, high (in reference to its large, protuberant eyes).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Japanese メダカ.

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Examples

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  • It's a fish of the rice paddies in Japan.

    January 2, 2012