gold·fish (g?ld?f?sh?)n. pl. goldfish or gold·fish·es A freshwater cyprinid fish (Carassius auratus) native to eastern Asia, usually having brassy or reddish coloring and bred in many ornamental forms as an aquarium fish.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.goldfish (????ld?f??) n, pl -fish or -fishes1. (Animals) a freshwater cyprinid fish, Carassius auratus, of E Europe and Asia, esp China, widely introduced as a pond or aquarium fish. It resembles the carp and has a typically golden or orange-red coloration2. (Animals) any of certain similar ornamental fishes, esp the golden orfe. See orfeCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014gold?fish (?go?ld?f??) n., pl. (esp. collectively) -fish, (esp. for kinds or species) -fish?es. a small usu. yellow or orange cyprinid fish, Carassius auratus, native to China and bred in many varieties. [1690?1700] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.