gnat

noun

: any of various small usually biting dipteran flies
gnatty adjective

Examples of gnat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Arizona, the duration of a gnat infestation can vary depending on the species of gnat, environmental conditions and the effectiveness of control measures. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024 But since plants can carry gnats in all phases of their lives, at once, the method of treating gnat infestations will differ depending on the stages of development. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024 This will help cut down on the fungal gnats that always seem to swarm around a plant that is transitioned indoors from outside. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024 For once, the entity piercing through The View's airspace was not a phantom noise, a doomed gnat, an unknown spectral entity, or Joy Behar's cell phone, but rather the thrusting pelvis of a ripped stripper. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gnat 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English gnætt; akin to Old English gnagan to gnaw

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gnat was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gnat

Cite this Entry

“Gnat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnat. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

gnat

noun
: any of various small usually biting two-winged flies

Medical Definition

gnat

noun
: any of various small usually biting dipteran flies (as a midge or blackfly)

More from Merriam-Webster on gnat

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