minnow

[ min-oh ]

/ ˈmɪn oʊ /

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noun, plural (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) min·nows, (especially collectively, Rare) min·now for 1-3.

a small, European cyprinoid fish, Phoxinus phoxinus.

any other fish of the family Cyprinidae, including the carps, goldfishes, and daces.

any of various unrelated, small fishes.

a person or thing that is comparatively small or insignificant.

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Origin of minnow

1325–75; Middle English minwe,Old English *mynwe (feminine) for myne (masculine); cognate with Old High German munewa kind of fish

Words nearby minnow

Minnesotan, Minnetonka, Minnewit, Minni, minnie, minnow, minny, Miño, Minoan, minocycline, Minogue

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use minnow in a sentence

They got to touch a beached jellyfish before dragging a net through the water to capture a glistening, flip-flopping mass of minnows.
On Virginia’s Chincoteague Island — all this and ponies, too|Nevin Martell|September 2, 2021|Washington Post
It’s still early days, and it’s barely a minnow next to the wind and solar sharks in the current sea of renewables—but osmotic energy is gaining traction.
Estuaries could power us to a low-carbon future|Claire Maldarelli|June 23, 2021|Popular-Science
The online environment for Switch games is a minnow among sharks.
Nintendo Switch review: Great for games at home or on the go, and that might be enough|Billy Cadden|June 19, 2021|Popular-Science
"They are using a whale to catch a minnow," said defense attorney Charles Swift.
The Next U.S-Pakistan Headache|ProPublica|May 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

“They are using a whale to catch a minnow,” said defense attorney Charles Swift.
The Next U.S-Pakistan Headache|ProPublica|May 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The Minnow bites freely in fine weather, and you may take almost as many as you please by angling for them.
The Teesdale Angler|R Lakeland
Should rain fall at this season, after the water has been low for some time, Trout will take a minnow exceedingly well.
The Teesdale Angler|R Lakeland
The former is styled the Archimedean, the latter the Phantom Minnow, which collapses when struck by a fish.
The Teesdale Angler|R Lakeland
Courtiers of forty years' standing, and such I may write myself, are as far to seek in the matter as a minnow in the Maelstrom.
The Fortunes of Nigel|Sir Walter Scott
They permit trolling with angels, or phantoms, or the natural minnow.
Angling Sketches|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for minnow

minnow

/ (ˈmɪnəʊ) /

noun plural -nows or -now

a small slender European freshwater cyprinid fish, Phoxinus phoxinus

any other small cyprinid

angling a spinning lure imitating a minnow

a small or insignificant person

Word Origin for minnow

C15: related to Old English myne minnow; compare Old High German muniwa fish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012