n. Any of various small live-bearing fishes of the genus Gambusia of the Americas, which are popular in home aquariums and have become widely naturalized because of their use for mosquito control. [New Latin Gambusia, genus name, coined (perhaps in reference to their small size) in 1851 by Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey y Aloy from Cuban Spanish colloquial gambusino, nothing (as in pescar gambusinos, to go on a snipe hunt, literally "to fish for gambusinos"), variant of Spanish gamusino, imaginary creature that children or naive persons are sent to hunt as a practical joke, object of a snipe hunt; perhaps akin to Old French gabuser, to dupe, from gab, mockery, jeering, probably from Old Norse gabb; akin to gabba, to scoff; see GAB.] |
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