nano

¹

[nan-oh, ney-noh]

noun

1. Informal.,  nanotechnology.

nano-

²

especially before a vowel, nanno-;

1. 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-

combining form

1. n. denoting 10 ^–9

   nanosecond

2. indicating extreme smallness

   nanoplankton

nano–

1. A prefix that means:

2. Very small or at a microscopic level, as in nanotube. In this sense, this prefix is sometimes spelled nanno–, as in nannoplankton.

3. One billionth, as in nanosecond, one billionth of a second.

nano-

1. A prefix meaning one billionth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nano-¹

By shortening

Origin of nano-²

Combining form representing Greek nânos, nánnos dwarf

Word History and Origins

Origin of nano-¹

from Latin nānus dwarf, from Greek nanos

Example Sentences

AI tools such as OpenAI’s recently launched Sora video app, Google’s image-generating Nano Banana and even Apple’s Genmoji on the iPhone allow people to create virtual knockoffs of celebrities—and even non-celebrities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And Dr. Elian El Hayek, one of our co-authors, said, “If you're going to say ‘nano,’ you better see ‘nano.’

Read more on Salon

Researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute have made a significant advance in the field of molecular robotics by developing custom-designed and programmable nanostructures using DNA origami.

Read more on Science Daily

The wearable ultrasound patch builds upon an earlier prototype that was pioneered by the lab of Sheng Xu, a professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego.

Read more on Science Daily

The team reports on its research in the current issue of the journal ACS Nano.

Read more on Science Daily

When To Use

What does nano- mean?

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.