no-see-um

noun

nō-ˈsē-əm

: biting midge

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

See more words from the same year

Style

“No-see-um.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/no-see-um. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

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"

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