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
Both outfits are owned by John Joseph Hurry, a 57-year old financial minnow who has morphed into Finra’s white whale.
—
Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
Yet Rwanda is a financial minnow in comparison and depends on donor aid to fund 40% of government expenditure, leading to questions about the wisdom of seeking to emulate Gulf petrostates.
—Adrian Blomfield, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
Sometimes the ‘eyes are out on the prowl, foraging on minnows or shad that are schooled somewhere between the top and bottom.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 13 June 2024
For example, a recent announcement from Deir ez-Zor in Syria prohibits fishermen from using electrical current, poison, or dynamite to kill fish, out of concern that such methods cause congenital defects in minnows and are also detrimental to the health of human consumers.
—Andrew F. March, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2015
See all Example Sentences for minnow 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
Yet Rwanda is a financial minnow in comparison and depends on donor aid to fund 40% of government expenditure, leading to questions about the wisdom of seeking to emulate Gulf petrostates.
—Adrian Blomfield, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
Sometimes the ‘eyes are out on the prowl, foraging on minnows or shad that are schooled somewhere between the top and bottom.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 13 June 2024
For example, a recent announcement from Deir ez-Zor in Syria prohibits fishermen from using electrical current, poison, or dynamite to kill fish, out of concern that such methods cause congenital defects in minnows and are also detrimental to the health of human consumers.
—Andrew F. March, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2015
See all Example Sentences for minnow
Dictionary Entries Near minnow
Cite this Entry
“Minnow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minnow. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share