gnat

noun

ˈnat 

: any of various small usually biting dipteran flies

gnatty

ˈna-tē 

adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

For the past three years, my home has been infested with biting gnats. —Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 27 May 2023

The diatomaceous earth cuts back on the gnats being able to lay eggs on the soil surface. —oregonlive, 26 Feb. 2023

Along with biting insects like chiggers, black flies, sand fleas, gnats, midges, and mosquitoes, ticks can latch onto an unsuspecting hiker and infect them with an array of lethal diseases, such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). —Nancy Jo Adams, Popular Mechanics, 22 Apr. 2023

Sawyer’s insect repellent protects up to 12 hours against mosquitoes and ticks, and up to eight hours against gnats, chiggers, and flies. —Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2023

The sky is cooling; the gnats and flies have grown still among the flowers. —Zuyi Zhao, The New York Review of Books, 16 Mar. 2023

Here are the most effective ways to get rid of gnats, instantly. —Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 12 Mar. 2023

In total, this hardware weighs 6.2 mg and uses 167 microwatts of power, which in theory could be suitable for a 10-mg flying robot, something about the size of a chonky gnat. —IEEE Spectrum, 12 Dec. 2022

Your cry fades like the cry of a gnat. —Lindsay Turner, The Atlantic, 7 Dec. 2021

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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

Phrases Containing gnat

• fungus gnat

• fungus gnat

Kids Definition

gnat

noun

ˈnat 

: any of various small usually biting two-winged flies

Medical Definition

gnat

noun

ˈnat 

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