Gnat

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Gnat

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

nat  /nat/

Definition

A small, two-winged fly of various species, many of which form swarms and bite humans and animals; any small flying insect.

Plain meaning

A gnat is a tiny flying insect — usually one of the small two-winged flies that form clouds near standing water, many of which bite. The G is silent.

Register

Neutral in entomological contexts. The idiom strain at a gnat is mildly literary and biblical. The gnat as a symbol of the negligibly small is common across many registers.