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

Senegal, however, are no minnows. —Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 16 June 2026

Some liken it to forcing a minnow to swallow a whale. —Abe Streep, ProPublica, 9 June 2026

But most bait users stick to tried-and-true oldies — minnows and worms, crawdads and crickets. —Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026

So bad that no transaction based on similar terms, where minnow swallows the whale for a king’s ransom, could happen again, or even be floated, right? —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 9 May 2026

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