a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter N.
a female given name.
What does nan- mean? Nan- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “very small, minute.” In names of units of measure, it means "one billionth." It is very occasionally used in scientific and technical terms. Nan- comes from Greek nânos or nánnos, meaning “dwarf.”What are variants of nan-?Nan- is a variant of nano-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use nano- article.
see nanny ; compare Greek nanna aunt, Medieval Latin nonna old woman
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chinese consumers have "matured a lot", becoming more discerning, said Jing Daily's Nan.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
At a public hearing last month, Nan Trout, who lives near the beach, presented the committee with a long list of reasons to keep the ban in place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
Tate - as Nan - will also be treating the audience to a musical number.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
Later, Nan, describing the type of play her mother favored when she first came to New York, allows Greenberg to indulge in some delectable self-irony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025
He’d stopped what he was doing and was staring at Nan.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Despite the "frightening" situation, Marley remained calm and used a mobile phone kept in a waterproof pouch to contact his nan on shore, who called 999.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
In 2021, Amy-Jane paid £4,000 for private surgery with help from her mum and nan.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has proposed a 9.5% increase, Midlothian is contemplating a rise of 9% and councillors in Shetland have suggested a 7.3% hike.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
Lucy Robinson, 37, found herself suffering from loneliness after losing her nan and stepfather within a six-month period.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
“Kore wa nan desu ka?” she asked politely.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
