Hypertext Webster Gateway: "gnat"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Gnat
only in Matt. 23:24, a small two-winged stinging fly of the
genus Culex, which includes mosquitoes. Our Lord alludes here to
the gnat in a proverbial expression probably in common use, "who
strain out the gnat;" the words in the Authorized Version,
"strain at a gnat," being a mere typographical error, which has
been corrected in the Revised Version. The custom of filtering
wine for this purpose was common among the Jews. It was founded
on Lev. 11:23. It is supposed that the "lice," Ex. 8:16 (marg.
R.V., "sand-flies"), were a species of gnat.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Gnat \Gnat\, n. [AS. gn[ae]t.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) A blood-sucking dipterous fly, of the genus
{Culex}, undergoing a metamorphosis in water. The females
have a proboscis armed with needlelike organs for
penetrating the skin of animals. These are wanting in the
males. In America they are generally called mosquitoes.
See {Mosquito}.
2. Any fly resembling a Culex in form or habits; esp., in
America, a small biting fly of the genus {Simulium} and
allies, as the buffalo gnat, the black fly, etc.
{Gnat catcher} (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of small
American singing birds, of the genus {Polioptila}, allied
to the kinglets.
{Gnat flower}, the bee flower.
{Gnat hawk} (Zo["o]l.), the European goatsucker; -- called
also {gnat owl}.
{Gnat snapper} (Zo["o]l.), a bird that catches gnats.
{Gnat strainer}, a person ostentatiously punctilious about
trifles. Cf. --Matt. xxiii. 24.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
gnat
n 1: any of various small biting flies: midges; biting midges;
black flies; sand flies
2: British usage
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