noun
minnow
MIH-noh
noun
1
Any of several small freshwater fish, especially the common minnow found in European streams.
"Children caught minnows in jars along the creek."
2
A person, team, or organization of little importance or influence compared to bigger rivals.
"The tournament's minnows shocked everyone by beating the defending champions."
How to Use Minnow
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tiny freshwater fish, or figuratively, a small and unimportant competitor.
Common pairings
football minnows
a shoal of minnows
Word Forms
minnowed past tense, minnows plural, minnows singular
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Etymology
From a Late Middle English word for small fish, tracing back to Old English, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "small."