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Definition of pleco

pleco

/ˈplɛk.oʊ/
ple · co
Plural:plecos
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pleco Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A type of heavily armored suckermouth catfish belonging to the family Loricariidae, native to the tropical freshwaters of South America and widely kept in the aquarium hobby as a cleaner fish.

Example

"The aquarist added a small pleco to the community tank to help keep the algae growth on the glass under control."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for pleco

• Rhymes for pleco

• Nearby Words

platypus
platystemon
playpen
pleco
plecostomus
plectranthus
pleione

Word Origin & Etymology

A clipping of 'plecostomus', from the former scientific genus name, which derives from Greek 'pleko' (plaited, twisted) and 'stoma' (mouth), referring to the folded appearance of the fish's suckermouth.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Pleco. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 18, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/pleco
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