minnowとは

意味・読み方・使い方

別の表記

• minnie, minny
• minow, menow, menoe (廃れた用法)

語源

From Middle English menow, from 古期英語 *mynwe, oblique form of *mynu, unattested variant of myne (“minnow, small fish”), from Proto-Germanic *muniwō (“minnow”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“small”). Cognate with Middle Low German mone, möne (West Frisian meun, Dutch meun), Old High German muniwa, munuwa, munewa (German Münne (“minnow”)).

発音

• (英国発音) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪnəʊ/

  韻: -ɪnəʊ

名詞

minnow (複数形 minnows)

1. A small freshwater fish of the carp family, Phoxinus phoxinus.
2. Any small fish.
   • 2004, Robert Werner, Freshwater Fishes of the Northeastern United States, page 74:

     Most minnows are small fish with cycloid scales, soft rays supporting their fins, and toothless jaws. Some possess barbels on their upper jaw, and many species develop nuptial tubercles during the breeding season.

3. A relatively small and insignificant person or organization.
   • 2011 January 29, Chris Bevan, “Torquay 0 - 1 Crawley Town”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     Having spent more than £500,000 on players last summer, Crawley can hardly be classed as minnows but they have still punched way above their weight and this kind of performance means no-one will relish pulling them out of the hat in Sunday's draw.

動詞

minnow (三人称単数 現在形 minnows, 現在分詞 minnowing, 過去形および過去分詞形 minnowed)

1. (fishing) To fish for minnows.
2. (fishing) To fish (especially for trout) using a minnow as bait.

派生語

• minnower