[min.now] n, pl minnows also minnow [ME menawe; akin to OE myne minnow, OHG munewa, a kind of fish] (15c) 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