nana

American

[nan-uh] / ˈnæn ə /

noun

Chiefly Northeastern U.S. grandmother; grandma.
Gulf States. godmother.
Chiefly Southeastern U.S. a child's nursemaid; nanny.

nana British

/ ˈnɑːnə /

noun

slang a fool
slang the head
slang to become very angry
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

Etymology

Origin of nana

1835–45; nursery word; 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

“My nana was constantly saying, ‘Why do you think that’s a green snake?

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 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

My nana likes to say that spring brings love.

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