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– 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-?