minnow

American  

[min-oh] / ˈmɪn oʊ /

noun

minnows, plural minnow plural

1. a small, European cyprinoid fish, Phoxinus phoxinus.

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

3. any of various unrelated, small fishes.

4. a person or thing that is comparatively small or insignificant.

   With just six electoral votes up for grabs, the Midwestern swing state of Iowa is a mere minnow compared to giants like Florida and Ohio.

5. Also called crypto minnow.  an investor who holds a small amount of cryptocurrency and is therefore unlikely to make transactions that have a significant effect on prices.

   In the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain, minnows still play a crucial role in decentralizing ownership and participation in the industry.

---

minnow British  

/ ˈmɪnəʊ /

noun

1. a small slender European freshwater cyprinid fish, Phoxinus phoxinus

2. any other small cyprinid

3. angling a spinning lure imitating a minnow

4. a small or insignificant person

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• minnow
  plural
• minnows
  plural

Etymology

Origin of minnow

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English minwe, Old English mynwe (unrecorded), feminine of myne; cognate with Old High German munewa, a kind of fish

Explanation

A minnow is a tiny freshwater fish. Minnows are commonly caught in nets and used as bait for catching larger fish. What we think of as a minnow could actually be any of a number of fish, since this term is the common name for a lot of species. While most people don't consider minnows to be food fish, they are part of the traditional diet of many indigenous North Americans and can be eaten whole, like sardines, if they're small enough. In Ireland, minnows are known as "pinkeens."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

minnow minnows

That feat alone was remarkable for a player from Fiji, a footballing minnow that Krishna had left years earlier to play semi-professionally.

From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026

Kalshi is still a minnow in the sports-betting industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2025

Instead, the firm’s footprint was more like that of a minnow.

From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

And it has revived habitat for myriad other species in the Topanga Creek watershed, from a tiny minnow to frogs and newts to the coyotes and mountain lions that roam the canyon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2023

There was a dangerous wooden dock, an old minnow tank, a flimsy tar paper boathouse along the shore.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

These are not economic minnows either; it’s the likes of Japan, India, China and Korea.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

The group stage would be a series of blowouts, the sharks would devour the minnows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026

For the most part, it’s been extremely top-heavy—which was always to be expected as the expanded 48-team field pulled in more minnows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Canada were dumped out of the Concacaf Gold Cup by minnows Guatemala on penalties in the quarter-finals, while their friendly results have been mixed.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

At low tide, we could cross easily to the next island, Cuttyhunk, through shallows strewn with bootlace weed and minnows.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk