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

Try for crappie with minnows or jigs five to 15 feet deep. —Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025

Nick Tobler was curious about the water quality and tested it with a few minnows, which survived. —Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Sep. 2025

Nearly five years into running Affinity, Kushner is still a minnow in the world of private equity. —Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

There were few predatory largemouth bass to eat minnows, which ran rampant and ate the water fleas that would otherwise have kept the algae in check. —Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

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