Midge

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
midge
    n 1: minute two-winged mosquito-like fly lacking biting
         mouthparts; appear in dancing swarms especially near water
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Sand \Sand\, n. [AS. sand; akin to D. zand, G. sand, OHG. sant,
   Icel. sandr, Dan. & Sw. sand, Gr. ?.]
   1. Fine particles of stone, esp. of siliceous stone, but not
      reduced to dust; comminuted stone in the form of loose
      grains, which are not coherent when wet.
      [1913 Webster]

            That finer matter, called sand, is no other than
            very small pebbles.                   --Woodward.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A single particle of such stone. [R.] --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. The sand in the hourglass; hence, a moment or interval of
      time; the term or extent of one's life.
      [1913 Webster]

            The sands are numbered that make up my life. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. pl. Tracts of land consisting of sand, like the deserts of
      Arabia and Africa; also, extensive tracts of sand exposed
      by the ebb of the tide. "The Libyan sands." --Milton. "The
      sands o' Dee." --C. Kingsley.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. Courage; pluck; grit. [Slang]
      [1913 Webster]

   {Sand badger} (Zool.), the Japanese badger ({Meles ankuma}).
      

   {Sand bag}.
      (a) A bag filled with sand or earth, used for various
          purposes, as in fortification, for ballast, etc.
      (b) A long bag filled with sand, used as a club by
          assassins.

   {Sand ball}, soap mixed with sand, made into a ball for use
      at the toilet.

   {Sand bath}.
      (a) (Chem.) A vessel of hot sand in a laboratory, in which
          vessels that are to be heated are partially immersed.
      (b) A bath in which the body is immersed in hot sand.

   {Sand bed}, a thick layer of sand, whether deposited
      naturally or artificially; specifically, a thick layer of
      sand into which molten metal is run in casting, or from a
      reducing furnace.

   {Sand birds} (Zool.), a collective name for numerous species
      of limicoline birds, such as the sandpipers, plovers,
      tattlers, and many others; -- called also {shore birds}.
      

   {Sand blast}, a process of engraving and cutting glass and
      other hard substances by driving sand against them by a
      steam jet or otherwise; also, the apparatus used in the
      process.

   {Sand box}.
      (a) A box with a perforated top or cover, for sprinkling
          paper with sand.
      (b) A box carried on locomotives, from which sand runs on
          the rails in front of the driving wheel, to prevent
          slipping.

   {Sand-box tree} (Bot.), a tropical American tree ({Hura
      crepitans}). Its fruit is a depressed many-celled woody
      capsule which, when completely dry, bursts with a loud
      report and scatters the seeds. See Illust. of {Regma}.

   {Sand bug} (Zool.), an American anomuran crustacean ({Hippa
      talpoidea}) which burrows in sandy seabeaches. It is often
      used as bait by fishermen. See Illust. under {Anomura}.

   {Sand canal} (Zool.), a tubular vessel having a calcareous
      coating, and connecting the oral ambulacral ring with the
      madreporic tubercle. It appears to be excretory in
      function.

   {Sand cock} (Zool.), the redshank. [Prov. Eng.]

   {Sand collar}. (Zool.) Same as {Sand saucer}, below.

   {Sand crab}. (Zool.)
      (a) The lady crab.
      (b) A land crab, or ocypodian.

   {Sand crack} (Far.), a crack extending downward from the
      coronet, in the wall of a horse's hoof, which often causes
      lameness.

   {Sand cricket} (Zool.), any one of several species of large
      terrestrial crickets of the genus {Stenophelmatus} and
      allied genera, native of the sandy plains of the Western
      United States.

   {Sand cusk} (Zool.), any ophidioid fish. See {Illust.} under
      {Ophidioid}.

   {Sand dab} (Zool.), a small American flounder ({Limanda
      ferruginea}); -- called also {rusty dab}. The name is also
      applied locally to other allied species.

   {Sand darter} (Zool.), a small etheostomoid fish of the Ohio
      valley ({Ammocrypta pellucida}).

   {Sand dollar} (Zool.), any one of several species of small
      flat circular sea urchins, which live on sandy bottoms,
      especially {Echinarachnius parma} of the American coast.
      

   {Sand drift}, drifting sand; also, a mound or bank of drifted
      sand.

   {Sand eel}. (Zool.)
      (a) A lant, or launce.
      (b) A slender Pacific Ocean fish of the genus
          {Gonorhynchus}, having barbels about the mouth.

   {Sand flag}, sandstone which splits up into flagstones.

   {Sand flea}. (Zool.)
      (a) Any species of flea which inhabits, or breeds in,
          sandy places, especially the common dog flea.
      (b) The chigoe.
      (c) Any leaping amphipod crustacean; a beach flea, or
          orchestian. See {Beach flea}, under {Beach}.

   {Sand flood}, a vast body of sand borne along by the wind.
      --James Bruce.

   {Sand fluke}. (Zool.)
      (a) The sandnecker.
      (b) The European smooth dab ({Pleuronectes
          microcephalus}); -- called also {kitt}, {marysole},
          {smear dab}, {town dab}.

   {Sand fly} (Zool.), any one of several species of small
      dipterous flies of the genus {Simulium}, abounding on
      sandy shores, especially {Simulium nocivum} of the United
      States. They are very troublesome on account of their
      biting habits. Called also {no-see-um}, {punky}, and
      {midge}.

   {Sand gall}. (Geol.) See {Sand pipe}, below.

   {Sand grass} (Bot.), any species of grass which grows in
      sand; especially, a tufted grass ({Triplasis purpurea})
      with numerous bearded joints, and acid awl-shaped leaves,
      growing on the Atlantic coast.

   {Sand grouse} (Zool.), any one of many species of Old World
      birds belonging to the suborder Pterocletes, and
      resembling both grouse and pigeons. Called also {rock
      grouse}, {rock pigeon}, and {ganga}. They mostly belong to
      the genus {Pterocles}, as the common Indian species
      ({Pterocles exustus}). The large sand grouse ({Pterocles
      arenarius}), the painted sand grouse ({Pterocles
      fasciatus}), and the pintail sand grouse ({Pterocles
      alchata}) are also found in India. See Illust. under
      {Pterocletes}.

   {Sand hill}, a hill of sand; a dune.

   {Sand-hill crane} (Zool.), the American brown crane ({Grus
      Mexicana}).

   {Sand hopper} (Zool.), a beach flea; an orchestian.

   {Sand hornet} (Zool.), a sand wasp.

   {Sand lark}. (Zool.)
      (a) A small lark ({Alaudala raytal}), native of India.
      (b) A small sandpiper, or plover, as the ringneck, the
          sanderling, and the common European sandpiper.
      (c) The Australian red-capped dotterel ({Aegialophilus
          ruficapillus}); -- called also {red-necked plover}.

   {Sand launce} (Zool.), a lant, or launce.

   {Sand lizard} (Zool.), a common European lizard ({Lacerta
      agilis}).

   {Sand martin} (Zool.), the bank swallow.

   {Sand mole} (Zool.), the coast rat.

   {Sand monitor} (Zool.), a large Egyptian lizard ({Monitor
      arenarius}) which inhabits dry localities.

   {Sand mouse} (Zool.), the dunlin. [Prov. Eng.]

   {Sand myrtle}. (Bot.) See under {Myrtle}.

   {Sand partridge} (Zool.), either of two small Asiatic
      partridges of the genus {Ammoperdix}. The wings are long
      and the tarsus is spurless. One species ({Ammoperdix
      Heeji}) inhabits Palestine and Arabia. The other species
      ({Ammoperdix Bonhami}), inhabiting Central Asia, is called
      also {seesee partridge}, and {teehoo}.

   {Sand picture}, a picture made by putting sand of different
      colors on an adhesive surface.

   {Sand pike}. (Zool.)
      (a) The sauger.
      (b) The lizard fish.

   {Sand pillar}, a sand storm which takes the form of a
      whirling pillar in its progress in desert tracts like
      those of the Sahara and Mongolia.

   {Sand pipe} (Geol.), a tubular cavity, from a few inches to
      several feet in depth, occurring especially in calcareous
      rocks, and often filled with gravel, sand, etc.; -- called
      also {sand gall}.

   {Sand pride} (Zool.), a small British lamprey now considered
      to be the young of larger species; -- called also {sand
      prey}.

   {Sand pump}, in artesian well boring, a long, slender bucket
      with a valve at the bottom for raising sand from the well.
      

   {Sand rat} (Zool.), the pocket gopher.

   {Sand rock}, a rock made of cemented sand.

   {Sand runner} (Zool.), the turnstone.

   {Sand saucer} (Zool.), the mass of egg capsules, or oothecae,
      of any mollusk of the genus {Natica} and allied genera. It
      has the shape of a bottomless saucer, and is coated with
      fine sand; -- called also {sand collar}.

   {Sand screw} (Zool.), an amphipod crustacean ({Lepidactylis
      arenarius}), which burrows in the sandy seabeaches of
      Europe and America.

   {Sand shark} (Zool.), an American shark ({Odontaspis
      littoralis}) found on the sandy coasts of the Eastern
      United States; -- called also {gray shark}, and {dogfish
      shark}. See Illust. under {Remora}.

   {Sand skink} (Zool.), any one of several species of Old World
      lizards belonging to the genus {Seps}; as, the ocellated
      sand skink ({Seps ocellatus}) of Southern Europe.

   {Sand skipper} (Zool.), a beach flea, or orchestian.

   {Sand smelt} (Zool.), a silverside.

   {Sand snake}. (Zool.)
      (a) Any one of several species of harmless burrowing
          snakes of the genus {Eryx}, native of Southern Europe,
          Africa, and Asia, especially {Eryx jaculus} of India
          and {Eryx Johnii}, used by snake charmers.
      (b) Any innocuous South African snake of the genus
          {Psammophis}, especially {Psammophis sibilans}.

   {Sand snipe} (Zool.), the sandpiper.

   {Sand star} (Zool.), an ophiurioid starfish living on sandy
      sea bottoms; a brittle star.

   {Sand storm}, a cloud of sand driven violently by the wind.
      

   {Sand sucker}, the sandnecker.

   {Sand swallow} (Zool.), the bank swallow. See under {Bank}.
      

   {Sand trap}, (Golf) a shallow pit on a golf course having a
      layer of sand in it, usually located near a green, and
      designed to function as a hazard, due to the difficulty of
      hitting balls effectively from such a position.

   {Sand tube}, a tube made of sand. Especially:
      (a) A tube of vitrified sand, produced by a stroke of
          lightning; a fulgurite.
      (b) (Zool.) Any tube made of cemented sand.
      (c) (Zool.) In starfishes, a tube having calcareous
          particles in its wall, which connects the oral water
          tube with the madreporic plate.

   {Sand viper}. (Zool.) See {Hognose snake}.

   {Sand wasp} (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
      hymenopterous insects belonging to the families
      {Pompilidae} and {Spheridae}, which dig burrows in sand.
      The female provisions the nest with insects or spiders
      which she paralyzes by stinging, and which serve as food
      for her young.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Midge \Midge\, n. [OE. migge, AS. mycge; akin to OS. muggia, D.
   mug, G. m["u]cke, OHG. mucca, Icel. m?, Sw. mygga, mygg, Dan.
   myg; perh. named from its buzzing; cf. Gr. ? to low, bellow.]
   (Zool.)
   [1913 Webster]
   1. Any one of many small, delicate, long-legged flies of the
      {Chironomus}, and allied genera, which do not bite. Their
      larvae are usually aquatic.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A very small fly, abundant in many parts of the United
      States and Canada, noted for the irritating quality of its
      bite.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: The name is also applied to various other small flies.
         See {Wheat midge}, under {Wheat}.
         [1913 Webster]
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
43 Moby Thesaurus words for "midge":
      Lilliputian, Tom Thumb, brownie, crumb, dot, drop, droplet, dwarf,
      elf, fleck, flyspeck, gnat, gnome, grain, homunculus, iota, jot,
      lilliputian, manikin, microbe, microorganism, midget, minim,
      minutia, minutiae, mite, mote, particle, peewee, pinhead, pinpoint,
      pip-squeak, point, pygmy, runt, scrap, shrimp, snip, snippet,
      speck, tittle, vanishing point, wart

    

[email protected]