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

No Liverpool player has recorded those numbers in a match since Philippe Coutinho in a 7-0 rout of Slovenian minnows Maribor in the Champions League in 2017. —James Pearce, The Athletic, 7 Feb. 2025

But were these fish actually Maluti redfin minnows? —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025

And weak teams can pile up wins over a short period while powerhouses look like minnows over a stretch of a month or three. —James Mirtle, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025

The last occasion a genuine minnow reached the final was 45 years ago when Real’s second team predictably lost to its seniors. —Henry Flynn, Forbes, 13 Jan. 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