minnow

noun

• 1a small freshwater Eurasian fish of the carp family, which typically forms large shoals.

  • Phoxinus phoxinus, family Cyprinidae
• used in names of small freshwater fishes similar to the minnow, e.g. mudminnow, topminnow.
• Fishing an artificial lure imitating a minnow.

• 2a small or insignificant person or organization:the paper is a minnow in the national newspaper mass market