Characid

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Any of numerous small freshwater tropical fishes belonging to the family Characidae, many of which are brightly colored and popular in aquariums
2. A small, often brilliantly hued fish from tropical American and African rivers that belongs to the large family Characidae
3. A member of the Characidae, a diverse family of mostly freshwater tropical fishes including tetras and piranhas

Etymology: The fish family Characidae was named in scientific Latin after the genus "Characinus," which in turn draws on the Greek "kharax." In Greek, "kharax" seems to have meant a pointed stake, and it was also applied to a sea fish, probably one with sharp spines. That makes the name a striking example of an ordinary object's name being transferred to a fish. The source is uncertain on the exact sense of the Greek word, so the stake meaning is the most secure of these. The English "characid" is simply the family name turned into a common noun, following the taxonomic suffix "-idae," which is built on the Greek ending "-idēs," meaning "descendant of." Any member of the family can be called a characid, and the group includes tetras and piranhas.