Jump to:

• nu
  nu

  noun

  the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet (Ν, ν).
• Nu
  Nu

  noun

  U Thauin Nu, 1907–1995, Burmese political leader: prime minister 1948–56, 1957–58, 1960–62.
• nu-
  nu-

  prefix

  indicating an updated or modern version of something

nu

¹ American  

[noo, nyoo] / nu, nyu /

noun

1. the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet (Ν, ν).

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

---

nu ² American  

[noo] / nu /

interjection

1. well? so? so what?

---

Nu ³ American  

[noo] / nu /

noun

1. U Thauin Nu, 1907–1995, Burmese political leader: prime minister 1948–56, 1957–58, 1960–62.

2. Egyptian Religion Nun.

---

Nu ¹ British  

/ njuː /

noun

1. U (uː), original name Thakin Nu. 1907–95, Burmese statesman and writer; prime minister (1948–56, 1957–58, 1960–62). He attempted to establish parliamentary democracy, but was ousted (1962) by Ne Win

---

nu ² British  

/ njuː /

noun

1. the 13th letter in the Greek alphabet (Ν, ν), a consonant, transliterated as n

---

nu ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Niue

---

nu- ⁴ British  

prefix

1. informal indicating an updated or modern version of something

   nu-metal music

---

Etymology

Origin of nu¹

1885–90; < Greek nû < Semitic; cf. nun ²

Origin of nu²

1890–95; < Yiddish; cognate with Old High German, Middle High German nū (adv. and conjunction), German nu (dial. and colloquial) well! well now! See now

Example Sentences

That vision got clearer when he first saw singer Moody performing with the nu metal band Motograter.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2025

With songs like Freak On A Leash and Rotting In Vain, American nu metal band Korn didn't seem to have much of a grip on a life of piety.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023

In the nu metal subgenre, they find an accessible mix of metal, hip-hop, funk and alternative rock; a flamboyant sense of style; and a gloomy-but-relatable subject matter.

From New York Times • Jul. 25, 2023

A memorable one sets the antics of Muffin, a particularly chaotic toddler and cousin of the two main Heeler sisters, to a song by nu metal band System of a Down.

From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2023

The Igwe came over to shake Papa’s hand during Peace and Love, and he said, “Nno nu, I will stop by later, so we can greet properly.”

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie