Gnat Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms gnat American [nat] / næt /

    noun

    1. any of certain small flies, especially the biting gnats or punkies of the family Ceratopogonidae, the midges of the family Chironomidae, and the black flies of the family Simuliidae.

    2. British. mosquito.

    idioms

    1. strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, to fuss about trifles while ignoring more serious matters.

    gnat British / næt /

    noun

    1. any of various small fragile biting dipterous insects of the suborder Nematocera, esp Culex pipiens ( common gnat ), which abounds near stagnant water

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    Other Word Forms

    • gnatlike adjective

    Etymology

    Origin of gnat

    before 900; Middle English; Old English gnæt ( t ); cognate with German (dial.) Gnatze

    Example Sentences

    Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

    Penelope’s scalp was already sweaty beneath her pith helmet, and she found herself shooing away imaginary gnats.

    From Literature

    The following fall, Helton stood on the banks of Beautiful Eagle Creek, gnats swirling overhead, wondering if maybe its water really was magic after all.

    From Los Angeles Times

    With no screens or cell phones to take our attention, we ‘worked’ outside in the back of a pickup under a shade tree with a big fan that kept the gnats away.

    From Salon

    Amid hordes of gnats they excavate that first fossil, which turns out to be a damaged leg bone.

    From Los Angeles Times

    Gracus glanced sidelong at this enormous gnat that continued to buzz in his ear.

    From Literature

    Related Words

    • ant
    • aphid
    • bee
    • beetle
    • butterfly
    • cockroach
    • dragonfly
    • flea
    • fruit fly
    • grasshopper
    • ladybug
    • mite
    • mosquito
    • moth
    • pest
    • spider
    • termite
    • tick

    Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

    Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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