minnie1
/ˈmɪni/British regional
noun
Orkney and Shetland. One's grandmother. More generally: an old woman.
Origin
Early 16th century (in an earlier sense). Origin uncertain; probably a variant of mammy.
Minnie2
/ˈmɪni/(also Minny) Military slang. Now historical
noun
A German trench mortar used in the First World War (1914–18); the bomb discharged by it.
Origin
Early 20th century; earliest use found in King's. Shortened from German Minenwerfer minenwerfer. Probably influenced by the female forename Minnie: compare later Moaning Minnie.