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minnow

[ min-oh ]
/ ˈmÉȘn 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use minnow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for minnow

minnow
/ (ˈmÉȘnəʊ) /

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
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