minnowyadj.
/ˈmɪnəʊi/, U.S. /ˈmɪnoʊi/ 1. Chiefly poetic. Of a river, stream, etc.: containing minnows, full of minnows.
ΚΠ
1826 T. Campbell Ye Field Flowers 23 What pictures of pebbled and minnowy brooks.
1987 E. Boland Journey 48 Soon it will be summer; things Returning, sunlight fingering minnowy deeps.
1993 Christian Sci. Monitor (Nexis) 19 Mar. 16 The weeping willow's stems and leaves..cascade over a river bank and trail in the minnowy shallows.
2. Of the nature of or resembling a minnow. Chiefly figurative: small, meagre; of little significance.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adjective] > of little importance or trivial
eathlyc890
lighteOE
littleOE
small?c1225
singlec1449
easy1474
triflous1509
naughty1526
slender1530
slight1548
shrimpish1549
slipper1567
truanta1572
toyous1581
trivious1583
mean1585
silly1587
nicea1594
puny?1594
puisne1598
pusill1599
whindling1601
sapless1602
non-significant1603
poor1603
unsignificant1603
flea-bite1605
perishing1605
lank1607
weightless1610
fonda1616
penny farthing1615
triviala1616
unweighty1621
transitory1637
twattling1651
inconsiderate1655
unserious1655
nugal1656
small drink1656
slighty1662
minute1668
paddling1679
snitling1682
retail1697
Lilliputian1726
vain1731
rattletrap1760
peppercornish1762
peppercorn1791
underling1804
venial1806
lightweight1809
floccinaucical1826
small-bore1833
minified1837
trantlum1838
piffling1848
tea-tabular1855
potty1860
whipping-snapping1861
tea-gardeny1862
quiddling1863
twaddling1863
fidgeting1865
penny ante1865
feather-weighted1870
jerkwater1877
midget1879
mimsy1880
shirttail1881
two-by-four1885
footle1894
skittery1905
footery1929
Mickey Mouse1931
chickenshit1934
minoritized1945
marginal1952
marginalized1961
tea-party1961
little league1962
marginalizing1977
minnowy1991
the world > relative properties > quantity > insufficiency > [adjective] > limited in quantity or amount > scanty or meagre
feeblec1275
straita1300
thinc1374
threadbarec1412
exile?1440
silly?a1500
pilled1526
thinnish1540
carrion-lean1542
carrion1565
exiled?1577
penurious1594
unnourishing1605
starveling1611
meagre1612
short-handed1622
lanka1644
scrimp1681
strigose1708
skimp1775
skimping1775
spare1813
shy1821
scrimping1823
skimpy1842
slim1852
scrappy1985
minnowy1991
1991 Vancouver Sun (Nexis) 14 Sept. c5 I was captivated by the clothing store rotating mannequin and Vandersoude's minnowy little wrist movements.
2000 Chattanooga (Tennessee) Times (Nexis) 31 Mar. (Weekend section) 18 Platters like the Seafood Sampler included something called a ‘junior filet’, which tipped the scales at a minnowy 1.02 ounces.
2000 Hindu (Electronic ed.) 26 Aug. What prompted the Cricket Board to grant this extraordinary eight-match tour status to minnowy Zimbabwe must remain a point for debate.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1826