Definitions

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

  • noun A freshwater cichlid (Astronotus ocellatus) native to South America, having a spot at the base of the tail and often kept in home aquariums.

Etymologies

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

[Perhaps from the name Oscar, given to the fish as a pet or familiar name after New Latin ocellātus, the fish's specific epithet, from Latin ocellātus, having little eyes (from the spot at the base of its tail ); see ocellated.]

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