Platy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈpleɪti/

Definitions

1. A biological descriptor that indicates a flattened morphology or pertains to certain fish from the Poeciliidae family
2. A term characterizing an organism's broad, flat structure, often seen in various aquatic species
3. Describes something having a flattened form or shape especially in biological contexts ; refers to a small brightly colored fish often kept in aquariums

Etymology: "Platy" is formed from "plate" plus the suffix "-y", which means "having the quality of" or "resembling." A plate is a flat, broad object, so "platy" describes something that is flat, wide, and thin in structure rather than rounded or bulky. In biology, the word is used for organisms with broad, flattened bodies, and it turns up in the names of aquatic creatures. The platy, a small freshwater fish popular in home aquariums, takes its name from this same flat-bodied quality, and its scientific genus was once called Platypoecilus, a Latinized form built on the same root.