A large South American catfish, or a general term for certain freshwater fish species found in tropical regions.
From Portuguese or South American indigenous languages, 'goala' entered English through naturalist and explorer accounts of South American fauna. The word spread through scientific and commercial fish trade terminology.
Goala represents how explorers and traders named things they'd never seen before by borrowing indigenous words—it's a reminder that naming animals involved listening to the people who already knew them.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.