Dictionary

gnat en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /næt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English gnat, from Old English gnætt (“gnat; midge; mosquito”), from Proto-West Germanic *gnatt, *gnattu, from Proto-Germanic *gnattaz, *gnattuz (“gnat”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰneHdʰn-, *gʰneHd- (“to gnaw; scratch”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰen- (“to gnaw; bite; scratch; grind”). Cognate with Low German Gnatte (“gnat”), dialectal Swedish gnatt (“mosquito”), German Gnatz (“scabs; rash; scabies; stinginess”). Related also gnit and gnaw.

Meanings

1. A biting insect, especially a mosquito.
   • [A]nd his servant was beside him with a fan to keep away the flies and gnats. 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 293:
2. (informal) An annoying person.
   • "Away thou whining gnat, and trouble me not!" 1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 115:

Forms

Deriveds

gnatling · gnat's chuff · gall gnat · gnatwren · gnat's prick · gnatcatcher · gnat's ass · gnatless · gnatproof · gnat's whisker · strain at a gnat · fungus gnat · gnateater · gnat-straining · box the gnat · gnatworm · gnatty · gnat bug · Clear Lake gnat · gnat-strainer · gnat-strain · gnatlike · gnat's arse · gnat's

Relateds

gnit · midge

Translations (85)

myv марав (any small insect of the order Diptera) · gu મચ્છર (any small insect of the order Diptera) · nrf bibet (any small insect of the order Diptera) · mg aloiloy (any small insect of the order Diptera) · tr sivrisinek (any small insect of the order Diptera) · pam absang (any small insect of the order Diptera) · lt mašalas (any small insect of the order Diptera) · grc κώνωψ (any small insect of the order Diptera) · fo mýggjabiti (any small insect of the order Diptera) · vi ruồi nhuế (any small insect of the order Diptera) · gd meanbh-chuileag (any small insect of the order Diptera) · uk комар (any small insect of the order Diptera) · enm gnat (any small insect of the order Diptera) · sh мушица (any small insect of the order Diptera) · sh комарац (any small insect of the order Diptera) · it moscerino (any small insect of the order Diptera) · sh mušica (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ga corrmhíol (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ja 蚋 (any small insect of the order Diptera) · cmn 蚋 (any small insect of the order Diptera) · kl ippernaq (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ko 모기 (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ml നുളമ്പ് (any small insect of the order Diptera) · fr moucheron (any small insect of the order Diptera) · la culex (any small insect of the order Diptera) · scn muschitta (any small insect of the order Diptera) · mk комарец (any small insect of the order Diptera) · la alucita (any small insect of the order Diptera) · fy langskonk (any small insect of the order Diptera) · es mosquito (any small insect of the order Diptera) · de Mücke (any small insect of the order Diptera) · bcl nuknok (any small insect of the order Diptera) · pt mosquitinho (any small insect of the order Diptera) · vo jimuskitil (any small insect of the order Diptera) · et sääsk (any small insect of the order Diptera) · unm nipënës (any small insect of the order Diptera) · cy gwybed (any small insect of the order Diptera) · gl mosquito (any small insect of the order Diptera) · eo kulo (any small insect of the order Diptera) · de Schnake (any small insect of the order Diptera) · es mime (any small insect of the order Diptera) · es jején (any small insect of the order Diptera) · sv stickmygga (any small insect of the order Diptera) · wyi koke (any small insect of the order Diptera) · mk мушичка (any small insect of the order Diptera) · nl mug (any small insect of the order Diptera) · vo muskitil (any small insect of the order Diptera) · sh komarac (any small insect of the order Diptera) · pl komar (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ba серәкәй (any small insect of the order Diptera) · nod ᩁᩥ᩠᩶ᨶ (any small insect of the order Diptera) · cmn 蚊 (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ja ブヨ (any small insect of the order Diptera) · lv ods (any small insect of the order Diptera) · da stikmyg (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ang gnætt (any small insect of the order Diptera) · th ริ้น (any small insect of the order Diptera) · fa پشهریز (any small insect of the order Diptera) · de Stechmücke (any small insect of the order Diptera) · nb knott (any small insect of the order Diptera) · fi sääski (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ru мо́шка (any small insect of the order Diptera) · gv meeyl (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ca mosquit (any small insect of the order Diptera) · nn knott (any small insect of the order Diptera) · tl niknik (any small insect of the order Diptera) · pt mosquito (any small insect of the order Diptera) · hy մոծակ (any small insect of the order Diptera) · af mug (any small insect of the order Diptera) · bn ডাঁশ (any small insect of the order Diptera) · fa پشه (any small insect of the order Diptera) · ru кома́р (any small insect of the order Diptera) · da myg (any small insect of the order Diptera) · scn siḍḍu (any small insect of the order Diptera) · duo rahik (any small insect of the order Diptera) · scn sampagghiuni (any small insect of the order Diptera) · uk мошка (any small insect of the order Diptera) · vo himuskitil (any small insect of the order Diptera) · nl knut (any small insect of the order Diptera) · bg комар (any small insect of the order Diptera) · hu szúnyog (any small insect of the order Diptera) · arz برغش (any small insect of the order Diptera) · gv quill (any small insect of the order Diptera) · uk мушка (any small insect of the order Diptera) · es maje (any small insect of the order Diptera)