nanosecond

American  

[nan-uh-sek-uhnd, ney-nuh-] / ˈnæn əˌsɛk ənd, ˈneɪ nə- /

noun

1. one billionth of a second. ns, nsec

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nanosecond British  

/ ˈnænəʊˌsɛkənd /

noun

1.  ns.  one thousand-millionth of a second

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nanosecond Scientific  

/ năn′ə-sĕk′ənd /

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

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nanosecond Cultural  

1. A billionth of a second.

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The term is often used to refer to a very short time: “He missed having an accident by nanoseconds.”

Etymology

Origin of nanosecond

First recorded in 1955–60; nano- + second ²

Example Sentences

John Martinis, the winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, recently warned that China is “nanoseconds” behind in the quantum race.

From MarketWatch

Now, the battle involves nanoseconds, six orders of magnitude faster.

From The Wall Street Journal

Because this encounter can take several nanoseconds, a long lasting excited state is essential.

From Science Daily

“China is nanoseconds behind America in AI,” he said recently.

From The Wall Street Journal

He later clarified in a statement, saying that “China is nanoseconds behind America in AI. It’s vital that America wins by racing ahead and winning developers worldwide.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• blink of an eye
• millisecond