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nana

American  
[nan-uh] / ˈnæn ə /

noun

nanas plural
  1. Chiefly Northeastern U.S. grandmother; grandma.

  2. Gulf States. godmother.

  3. Chiefly Southeastern U.S. a child's nursemaid; nanny.


nana British  
/ ˈnɑːnə /

noun

  1. slang a fool

  2. slang the head

  3. slang to become very angry

  4. slang mad; insane

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of nana

1835–45; nursery word; cf. nanny

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"My nana and grandad, who have passed away, used to have a rocking horse so I thought that would be a lovely memory for her tree."

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2024

Even now, at 90, my nana says she keeps bottles of water, a jar of peanut butter and a large box of saltines on hand.

From New York Times • May 23, 2024

While Ana wasn’t quite aware of who Haley was, she seemed happy to be there, and said she looked up to her nana.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2024

I spent one single Thanksgiving at a restaurant in 2002 with my mom, dad, nana and brother.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2023

She chokes out, “It’s all my nana could afford.”

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle

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