gnatcatcher

noun

gnat·​catch·​er ˈnat-ˌka-chər How to pronounce gnatcatcher (audio)
-ˌke-
: any of a genus (Polioptila) of several small North and South American insectivorous passerine birds

Examples of gnatcatcher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The land is mostly covered with coastal sage scrub and supports species such as the coastal California gnatcatcher, golden eagle and Quino checkerspot butterfly. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2024 All told, people spotted more than 80 different avian species munching on the insects, from large trumpeter swans to teeny-tiny blue-gray gnatcatchers. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023 Martha’s Vineyard: Nineteen snow geese at the Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown, a marbled godwit at Eel Pond in Edgartown, and a blue-gray gnatcatcher on Clay Pit Road at Aquinnah. BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023 Martha’s Vineyard: A Mississippi kite in West Tisbury, and a blue-gray gnatcatcher and a common raven in Edgartown. Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for gnatcatcher 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gnatcatcher.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gnatcatcher was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near gnatcatcher

Cite this Entry

“Gnatcatcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnatcatcher. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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Last Updated: - Definition revised
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