minnow
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
minnow/ˈmɪnəʊ/
▶noun
- 1 a small freshwater fish of the carp family, which typically forms large shoals. [Phoxinus phoxinus.]
■ used in names of similar fishes, e.g. mudminnow.
■ Fishing an artificial lure imitating a minnow.
- 2 a small or unimportant person or organization.
– origin ME: prob. rel. to Du. meun and Ger. Münne, influenced by Anglo-Norman Fr. menu ‘small, minnow’.
'minnow' also found in these Oxford entries:
