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

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

But in the cycling ecosystem, the Rockets are still minnows, a bunch of merry men with a camera — up against teams funded by international business conglomerates and nation states. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 9 May 2026

The group is eyeing a $1,200 package from a local hatchery that includes hundreds of minnows and bluegills, and at least 80 bass, numbers that would allow the food system to sustain itself. —Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026

During those precious months, anything from a fiddler crab to a minnow was cause for excitement, our time with them so abundant that there was no need to tally or keep track. —Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 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