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**Min·o·an** /mɪ'nəʊən/ *adj* connected with the language, reli-gion, art etc of the Greek Island of Crete in the period from about 3000 to 1100 BC. The most important Minoan city was Knossos, where ARCHAEOLOGISTS have found an ancient royal PALACE and other buildings. The Minoan civilization was one of the earliest in Europe.
**Mi·nogue, Kylie** /mɪ'nəg, 'kaɪli/ (1968–) an Australian singer and actress who appeared in the television SOAP OPERA *Neighbours* and then became a POP SINGER. Her songs include *I Should be so Lucky* and *Can't Get You Out of my Head*.
**Mi·nol·ta** /mɪ'nɒltəl-'nɒɪ-/ *trademark* a BRAND (=type) of cam-era made by the Japanese company Minolta
**mi·nor**¹ /'maɪnə*/ *adj* **1** lesser or smaller in degree, size, number, or importance when compared with others: *He left most of his money to his sons; his daughter received only a minor share of his wealth.* | *The young actress was given a minor part in the new play.* | *The important thing is to finish it quickly; cost is only a relatively minor consideration.* | *a minor flaw/alteration* | *The infection/operation is fairly minor, noth-ing to worry about.* → opposite MAJOR; see MAJOR (USAGE) **2** being or based on a musical SCALE on which there are SEMITONES between different notes than those of the MAJOR scale: *in a minor key* | [after n] *a symphony in F minor* **3** [after n] BrE *old-fash* being the younger of two boys of the same name in the same school: *Simkins minor* → opposite MAJOR
**minor**² *n* law a person below the age (now 18 in Britain and the US) at which they are fully responsible in law for their actions
**minor**³ *v*
**minor in sthg.** *phr v* [T] AmE to study as an extra subject when doing a university degree → see Feature on page A13
**Mi·nor·ca** /mɪ'nɔkəll-'nɔːɪ-/ also **Menorca** a Spanish island in the west Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands, which is popular with British tourists
**mi·nor·i·ty** /maɪ'nɒrɪti||mɪ'nɔːɪ-, mɪ'nɑː-/ *n* **1** [(the)S+sing./pl. v] the smaller number or part; less than half: *Most of the nation wants peace; only a minority wants the war to continue.* | *Boys are very much in the minority at the dancing class.* (=most of the pupils are girls) | *Three members of the committee disagreed with the main report, so they produced a minority report.* (=one that only represented the views of those three members) | *TV programmes that cater for minor-ity interests* (=things that not many people are interested in) **2** [C+sing./pl. v] a small part of a population which is different from the rest in race, religion etc: *a law to protect religious minorities/ethnic minorities* **3** [U] law the state or time of being a MINOR: *The court appointed me as the boy's guardian during his minority.* → opposite MAJORITY
**mi,nority 'government** *n* a government which has fewer seats in a parliament than the combined opposition parties have
**mi,nority 'leader** *n* in the US political system, the politi-cian who is the leader of the party that has fewer elected members than the leading party. There is a minority leader in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. → compare MAJORITY LEADER
**'minor league** *n* AmE a group of professional sports clubs, especially BASEBALL clubs, that are not in the large national LEAGUES: *a minor league pitcher*
**,minor 'planet** *n* an ASTEROID
**,minor 'suit** *n* (in the card game BRIDGE) either CLUBS or DIAMONDS which have a lower value than the MAJOR SUITS
**Min·o·taur, the** /'mɪnətɔːr, 'maɪ-/ in ancient Greek stories, a creature which was half a man and half a BULL (=a male cow), which was kept in a LABYRINTH (=a complicated net-work of paths which it is difficult to find your way out of) and was given young men and women to eat. It was killed by THESEUS.
**min·ster** /'mɪnstər/ *n* BrE (*often cap.*) (now usually part of a name) a large or important church, especially one that formed part of an ABBEY: *Westminster* | *York Minster*
**min·strel** /'mɪnstrəl/ *n* **1** a travelling musical entertainer in the Middle Ages **2** (especially in former times) any of a group of performers who travel about giving amusing song and dance shows
**min·strel·sy** /'mɪnstrəlsi/ *n* [U] *rare* the art, songs, and music of a minstrel
**mint**¹ /mɪnt/ *n* **1** [U] a small plant whose leaves have a particular fresh smell and taste and are used in food and drinks: *mint tea* | *roast lamb with mint sauce* **2** [C;U] (a) PEPPERMINT or a sweet containing mint: *Have one of these mints!* | *after-dinner mints*
**mint**² *n* **1** [C] a place where coins are officially made by the government: *the Royal/Denver Mint* **2** [S] *infml* a large amount (of money): *He must be making a mint!* **3** in **mint condition** (of objects which people collect for pleasure, such as books, postage stamps, or coins) in perfect condition, as if new and unused
**mint**³ *v* [T] **1** to make (a coin) **2** to invent (a new word, phrase etc) → see also COIN²
**,mint 'julep** *n* → see JULEP
**Min·ton** /'mɪntən/ *n* [U] a fine BONE CHINA made in Stoke-on-Trent in England (from Thomas Minton (1765–1836) who started the factory). The famous WILLOW PATTERN plates etc are said to have been made first by the Minton company.
**,mint 'sauce** /ll'. ./ *n* [U] a mixture of VINEGAR, sugar, salt, and finely cut mint, usually eaten with ROAST lamb
**min·u·et** /,mɪnju'et/ *n* (a piece of music for) a type of slow graceful 17th- and 18th-century dance
**mi·nus**¹ /'maɪnəs/ *prep* **1** made less by (the stated quantity): *17 minus 5 leaves/equals 12 (17 – 5 = 12).* **2** being the stated number of degrees below the freezing point of water: *The temperature was minus 10 degrees (=–10°).* **3** *infml* without: *He won the fight, but when it ended he was minus two front teeth.* → opposite PLUS
**minus**² *n* **1** also **'minus sign** a sign (–) showing that a number is less than zero, or that the second number is to be taken away from the first **2** a disadvantage: *Traffic noise is one of the minuses of living on a main road.* → opposite PLUS
**minus**³ *adj* **1** [A] (of a number or quantity) less than zero **2** [A] disadvantageous: *He's very keen, but his youth is a minus factor.* **3** [after n] (of a mark) coming low in a range: *I got a B for my last essay, but only a B minus for this one.* → opposite PLUS
**min·us·cule** /'mɪnəskjuːl/ *adj* extremely small: *a minuscule amount*
**min·ute**¹ /'mɪnɪt/ *n* **1** any of the 60 parts into which an hour is divided: *The train arrived at four minutes past eight.* | *It's a ten minute walk/a few minutes' walk from here to the station.* **2** *infml* a very short period of time; MOMENT: *I'll be ready in a minute/a few minutes.* | *'Are you ready yet?' 'No, but I won't be a minute.'* (=I'll be ready very soon) | *Just a minute/Hang on a minute.* (=wait for a moment) – *I want to talk to you.* | *He can never make up his mind; one minute he says he wants to go, and the next he says he doesn't.* | *Have you got a minute?* (=can I talk to you for a short time?) | *No; I'm not suggesting for a minute* (=certainly not suggesting) *that he's lying.* **3** any of the 60 parts into which a degree of angle is divided **4** a short official note asking for certain action to be taken, expressing an opinion etc: *The minister read the report and then added a minute expressing his complete agree-ment.* → see also MINUTES **5** the **minute (that)** as soon as: *I recognized him the minute (that) I saw him.* → see also LAST MINUTE, UP-TO-THE-MINUTE
**minute**² *v* [T] BrE to make a note of (something) in the MINUTES of a meeting: *I want my disagreement to be minuted.*
**mi·nute**³ /maɪ'njuːt||-'nuːt/ *adj* **1** very small: *His writing's minute.* | *a minute improvement* **2** *infml* giving attention to the smallest points; very careful and exact: *in minute detail* ——**ly** *adv*: *He examined the jewel minutely.* ——**ness** *n* [U]
**minute bell** /'mɪnɪt bel/ *n* in Britain, a church bell that rings every minute while a funeral PROCESSION is going to or leaving a church
**minute gun** /'mɪnɪt gn/ *n* in Britain, a gun fired every minute at funerals of very important people or COMMEMO-RATION ceremonies, or as a signal for help
**minute hand** /'mɪnɪt hænd/ *n* the long hand that marks the minutes on a watch or a clock
**Minute Maid** /'mɪnɪt meɪd/ *trademark* a BRAND (=type) of fruit juice sold in the US, especially orange juice
**min·ute·man** /'mɪnɪstmən/ *n* pl. **-men** /-men/ AmE during the