nana
Americannoun
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Chiefly Northeastern U.S. grandmother; grandma.
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Gulf States. godmother.
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Chiefly Southeastern U.S. a child's nursemaid; nanny.
noun
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slang a fool
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slang the head
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slang to become very angry
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slang mad; insane
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.
Thankfully for Paige, her nana agreed - invested in every sense of the word in her granddaughter's determination to succeed.
From BBC • Aug. 23, 2025
I spent one single Thanksgiving at a restaurant in 2002 with my mom, dad, nana and brother.
From Salon • Nov. 16, 2023
Here’s what we actually need: A superhero movie about a badass nana with a secret revolutionary past.
From New York Times • Aug. 16, 2023
“My nana has been looking over me, and my whole family has had my back,” she told the media after the Pac-12 championship game.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023
“They’ve discussed you on every news show this morning. Your nana calls every five minutes, telling us a new channel to watch.”
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
