gnatcatcher

noun

gnat·​catch·​er ˈnat-ˌka-chər How to pronounce gnatcatcher (audio)
-ˌke-
: any of a genus (Polioptila) of several small North and South American insectivorous passerine birds

Examples of gnatcatcher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The island is home to frigate birds, gnatcatchers, bananaquits, boobies, and a rare rodent called the hutia, which looks like a rat and comes out at night to feed. Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026 Among the birds mostly likely to be flying over Michigan at night are Northern house wrens, Forster's terns, blue-gray gnatcatchers, pectoral sandpipers, American tree sparrows and Caspian terns. Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Both properties contain diverse native plant and animal life, including southern mixed chaparral, coastal sage scrub, coastal California gnatcatcher, southwestern pond turtle, and western spadefoot toad. Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025 The 208-acre Fairview Park is a biodiversity hotspot containing five habitat ecosystems with rare and endangered plants and animals, including the burrowing owl, Crotch’s bumble bee and coastal gnatcatcher. Claire Wang, Oc Register, 28 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gnatcatcher

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gnatcatcher was in 1839

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Cite this Entry

“Gnatcatcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnatcatcher. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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