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; 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.

Diane's daughter Cassie was just 10 when her mum and "nana" went to prison.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025

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

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