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fishbowl — a round glass container for keeping fish as pets

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a round glass container for keeping fish as pets

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈfɪʃboʊl/

Example Sentences

  • My pet goldfish looked bored swimming in circles in its tiny fishbowl.
  • The politician complained that living in the media fishbowl made it impossible to have a normal family dinner.
  • Tommy's fish escaped when he overfilled the fishbowl and created a mini tsunami in his bedroom.

fishbowl

NOUN

[/ˈfɪʃboʊl/]

a round glass container for keeping fish as pets

a round glass container for keeping fish as pets
💡 Concept

a round glass container for keeping fish as pets

From empty fishbowl to wish bowl, hoping for her friend's return!
🎵 Rhyme

From empty fishbowl to wish bowl, hoping for her friend's return!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈfɪʃboʊl/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈfɪʃbəʊl/

🌳Etymology

Rootfish
Suffix-bowl

Origin

Fishbowl is a compound word combining 'fish' and 'bowl', originating in the 19th century to describe a round glass container for keeping fish. By the 20th century, it acquired a metaphorical meaning referring to a situation lacking privacy, often used to describe public scrutiny or transparent environments.

Breakdown

fish (from Old English fisc, meaning aquatic animal) + bowl (from Old English bolla, meaning rounded vessel) = fishbowl, literally a container for fish and figuratively a transparent, exposed situation.

🎵Rhyme

dish bowl
wish bowl

🔗Collocations

live in a fishbowl
glass fishbowl
round fishbowl
clean the fishbowl
public fishbowl
escape the fishbowl
celebrity fishbowl

📝Examples

“My pet goldfish looked bored swimming in circles in its tiny fishbowl.”

“The politician complained that living in the media fishbowl made it impossible to have a normal family dinner.”

😄 Fun example

“Tommy's fish escaped when he overfilled the fishbowl and created a mini tsunami in his bedroom.”

“Working in an open office feels like living in a fishbowl where everyone can see your every move.”

📚Related Words

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