Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

strain at a gnat and swallow a camel

 - 4 dictionary results
AT&T™ Official Site
Phone, Internet, & TV or Wireless for Under $100 /month with AT&T.
att.com
Fly & Gnat Control
Control flies and gnats with simple plug in traps now on Sale!
www.FirstChoiceOKC.com
Want To Get Rid of Gnats?
You can rid your yard of gnats fast - with our all natural spray.
www.MosquitoBarrier.com/gnats

gnat

  [nat]
Use strain at a gnat and swallow a camel in a Sentence
–noun
1. any of certain small flies, esp. the biting gnats or punkies of the family Ceratopogonidae, the midges of the family Chironomidae, and the black flies of the family Simuliidae.
2. British. mosquito.
—Idiom
3. strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, to fuss about trifles while ignoring more serious matters.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE gnæt(t); c. G (dial.) Gnatze

Related forms:
gnatlike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
AT&T™ Official Site
Phone, Internet, & TV or Wireless for Under $100 /month with AT&T.
att.com
Fly & Gnat Control
Control flies and gnats with simple plug in traps now on Sale!
www.FirstChoiceOKC.com
Word Origin & History

gnat 
O.E. gnætt, earlier gneat, from P.Gmc. *gnattaz (cf. Low Ger. gnatte, Ger. Gnitze).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: gnat
Pronunciation: 'nat
Function: noun
: any of various small usually biting dipteran flies (as a midge or blackfly)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

gnat (nāt)
n.
Any of various small, biting, two-winged flies, such as a biting midge or black fly.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see strain at a gnat and swallow a camel on Thesaurus | Reference
Want To Get Rid of Gnats?
You can rid your yard of gnats fast - with our all natural spray.
www.MosquitoBarrier.com/gnats
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way