minnow

noun

min·​now ˈmi-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce minnow (audio)
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 Whoever compiled the video did not even need to mention the victory by a Colombian minnow, Once Caldas, in the Copa Libertadores to declare that 2004 had been a year for the underdog. Rory Smith, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Even Snap, a social media minnow compared to Meta, boasted 414 million daily active users in Q4 2023. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 But compared to the megalodon, a giant prehistoric shark that roamed the oceans from 15 million to 3.6 million years ago, the great white seems like a mere minnow. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 Most mackinaw anglers swear by lures in silver and blue combinations, and some anglers like to tip their jigs with a minnow or chunk of sucker meat. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Most importantly, weed lines host entire ecosystems with lots of insects, minnows, grass shrimp, and juvenile crawfish that bluegill love to gorge on. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 Here in Idaho, the Rapala Original Floating minnow is a must-have item for any angler’s tackle box. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Stock market minnows are grabbing most of the world's IPOs The shoemaker’s upcoming listing is a coup for the US market, and another loss for stock exchanges in Europe. Anna Cooban, CNN, 3 Oct. 2023 This is the summer in which the minnows became sharks. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minnow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of minnow was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near minnow

Cite this Entry

“Minnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minnow. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

minnow

noun
min·​now ˈmin-ō How to pronounce minnow (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on minnow

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