nanometer

American  

[nan-uh-mee-ter, ney-nuh-] / ˈnæn əˌmi tər, ˈneɪ nə- /

noun

1. one billionth of a meter. nm

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nanometer Scientific  

/ năn′ə-mē′tər /

1. One billionth (10 ^{- 9}) of a meter.

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Etymology

Origin of nanometer

First recorded in 1960–65; nano- + meter ¹

Compare meaning

How does nanometer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• micron vs. nanometer

Example Sentences

This process extended about 20 to 50 nanometers below the surface.

From Science Daily

In their simulations, the team modeled a stable hydrogen cyanide crystal shaped like a long cylinder about 450 nanometers in length.

From Science Daily

Variations within a single chip were kept below 2 nanometers, while differences between chips remained under 15 nanometers.

From Science Daily

XLight’s lasers are targeting much more precise wavelengths, of down to 2 nanometers.

From The Wall Street Journal

In this case, the precursor is a loose assembly of tau proteins measuring only tens of nanometers.

From Science Daily