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Gnat

//næt// noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any small insect of the order Diptera, specifically within the suborder Nematocera.
  2. 2
    A type of jet fighter aircraft. historical
  3. 3
    (British usage) mosquito wordnet
  4. 4
    An annoying person. informal

    ""Away thou whining gnat, and trouble me not!""

  5. 5
    any of various small biting flies: midges; biting midges; black flies; sand flies wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

From gnat.

See also for "gnat"

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