nano

¹

[ nan-oh, ney-noh ]

noun

1. Informal. nanotechnology.

nano-

²

1. a combining form with the meaning “very small, minute,” used in the formation of compound words ( nanoplankton ); in the names of units of measure it has the specific sense “one billionth” (10 -9 ):

   nanomole; nanosecond.

nano-

combining_form

1. denoting 10 ^–9 n

   nanosecond

2. indicating extreme smallness

   nanoplankton

nano–

1. A prefix that means:
2. Very small or at a microscopic level, as in nanotube. In this sense, this prefix is sometimes spelled nanno–, as in nannoplankton.
3. One billionth, as in nanosecond, one billionth of a second.

nano-

1. A prefix meaning one billionth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nano¹

By shortening

Origin of nano²

Combining form representing Greek nânos, nánnos dwarf

Word History and Origins

Origin of nano¹

from Latin nānus dwarf, from Greek nanos

Example Sentences

New iPods: Your iPod nano and iPod shuffle are looking aged, so maybe it's time for a hardware update?

From The Daily Beast

It may seem like batteries have improved dramatically — consider the lifespan of an iPod Nano versus a portable cassette player.

From The Daily Beast

One tiny—and, in some cases, Nano-size—device would revolutionize how the world listened to music.

From The Daily Beast

In 2006, the Left Front government invited the magnate Ratan Tata to set up his Nano factory at Singur.

From The Daily Beast

Nano Amaldi's injuries proved far less serious than was at first believed.

From Project Gutenberg

He busied himself over his Nano-cakes and nuts, and prevailed on Battle to eat by making him laugh at his antics.

From Project Gutenberg

John Nano, who spoke several tongues, said that he did not know it in any Indian dialect except in that of his gypsies.

From Project Gutenberg

One last word of John Nano, who was so called from two similar Indian words, meaning “the pet of his grandfather.”

From Project Gutenberg

Saying this he handed me a piece of paper, with his name written on it: John Nano.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use nano-

What does nano- mean?

Nano– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “very small, minute.” In names of units of measure, it means “one billionth.” It is often used in scientific and technical terms.

Nano– comes from Greek nânos or nánnos, meaning “dwarf.”

What are variants of nano-?

In some rare instances, nano– is spelled with a double -n-, becoming nanno-, as in nannofossil.

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, nano– becomes nan-, as in nanoid. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use nan– article.

Examples of nano-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features nano– is nanosecond, “one billionth of a second.”

The form nano– generally means “very small, minute,” but because a second is a unit of measure (of time), here nano– means “one billionth.” Nanosecond literally means “one billionth of a second.”

What are some words that use the combining form nano-?

• nanobot
• nanodot
• nanogram
• nanomole
• nanoplankton
• nanotube

What are some other forms that nano– may be commonly confused with?

• meno-
• non-

Break it down!

A gram is a unit of weight or mass. With this in mind, what is a nanogram?