Aquarium
/əˈkwɛər.i.əm/noun
A container or building where aquatic plants and animals are kept and displayed.
Did you know?Aquarium is a Latin formation from *aqua* (“water”), and the same root flows through words like *aquatic*, *aqueous*, and even the name *Aquarius*, tying the word to an old symbolic world of water and stars.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
aquarium
“a place connected with water; a water vessel or basin”
Latin
Latin
aqua
“water”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ekʷeh₂
“water”
18th Century
English
aquarium
“a tank or container for keeping aquatic animals and plants”
Modern English
English
aquarium
“a facility or container for displaying aquatic life”