minnow

 
Pronunciation: /ˈmɪnəʊ/

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

Origin:

late Middle English: probably related to Dutch meun and German Münne, influenced by Anglo-Norman French menu 'small, minnow'