minnow

noun

min·​now ˈmi-(ˌ)nō 

plural minnows also minnow

1

a

: a small cyprinid, killifish, or topminnow

b

: any of various small fish that are less than a designated size and are not game fish

2

: a live or artificial minnow used as bait

Examples of minnow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Puerto Rico ia a minnow compared to the whales of the U.S., Mexico and Canada teams in the region. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 10 June 2024

The social media landscape has radically changed since the last election in December 2019, when TikTok was the new kid on the block and a relative minnow compared to the likes of Facebook and Twitter (now X). —Elliott Goat, The Week Uk, theweek, 28 May 2024

Midges are an ample food source for ducks, bats, insect-eating birds and small fish like minnows and baby perch, salmon and trout. —Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024

With the sharks of large states lunging at one another across the world, can the minnows do more than hide in the reefs? —Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English menawe; akin to Old English myne minnow, Old High German munewa, a kind of fish

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

minnow

noun

min·​now ˈmin-ō 

plural minnows also minnow

: any of various small freshwater fishes (as a dace or shiner) related to the carps

also : any of various small fishes that resemble minnows