any of various small American songbirds of the genus Polioptila and related genera, typically having a long tail and a pale bluish-grey plumage: family Muscicapidae (Old World flycatchers, etc)
gnatcatcher in American English
(ˈnætˌkætʃər)
noun
any tiny insect-eating New World warbler of the genus Polioptila, having a long, mobile tail and a slender bill
Word origin
[1835–45; gnat + catcher]This word is first recorded in the period 1835–45. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: catch-up, crosshead, daisy chain, grandstand, hot plate