no-see-um

noun

nō-ˈsē-əm How to pronounce no-see-um (audio)
: biting midge

Word History

Etymology

from the words (as supposedly spoken by American Indians) no see um you don't see them

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of no-see-um was in 1842

Dictionary Entries Near no-see-um

nose drops

no-see-um

nose flute

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“No-see-um.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/no-see-um. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

no-see-um

noun
nō-ˈsē-əm
: any of various tiny two-winged flies that bite
Etymology

from the words (as supposedly spoken by Indigenous American people) no see um "you don't see them"

More from Merriam-Webster on no-see-um

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about no-see-um

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...