minnow n : very small European freshwater fish common in gravelly streams [syn: Phoxinus phoxinus]

English

Etymology

Probably from etyl ang *|mynwe (though unattested), cognate with Old High German munewa (German Münne). The word has been inlfuenced in English by Old French menu.

Pronunciation

• a UK /ˈmɪnəʊ/

  Rhymes: -ɪnəʊ

Noun

1. A small freshwater fish of the carp family.
2. More generally, any small fish.
3. A low-level team, in comparison to their opponents.

Translations

Minnow may refer to:

• a type of small fish including, in decreasing order of specificity:
  • any, particularly small, fish of the family Cyprinidae such as the Eurasian minnow, Phoxinus phoxinus
  • some fish of the family Galaxiidae, in particular those of genus Galaxias, occurring in the Southern Hemisphere
  • any small freshwater fish, especially those used as bait by anglers

• for fish, in regional usage, it can refer to:
  • (in parts of Britain) the stickleback
  • (in southeast Asia) the Danionins

• the S.S. Minnow, the wrecked boat featured in the television series Gilligan's Island.

• metaphorically, particularly in sports, an underdog, especially an extreme underdog
• in activities such as business, sports or politics, small or new players to contrast them with the established players. For example, countries like Bermuda and Scotland are referred to as minnows in the cricket World Cup.

See also

• Chub, a term for several groups of small cyprinid fish
• Dace, another term for many small cyprinid fish