Gnat
/næt/noun
A tiny flying insect, especially one that bites or swarms.
Did you know?The silent initial g in gnat is a fossil of Old English spelling, while the word itself goes back to a Germanic insect name that likely imitated the insect’s tiny buzzing sound.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gneh₂-
“to bite, gnaw, or chew”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gnattaz
“gnat, small biting insect”
Old English
English
gnæt
“gnat, midge, small biting fly”
Middle English
English
gnat
“gnat, small flying insect”
Modern English
English
gnat
“a tiny flying insect, especially one that bites or swarms”