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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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
nu 2 British  
/ njuː /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
nu 3 British  

abbreviation

  1. Niue

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
nu- 4 British  

prefix

  1. informal indicating an updated or modern version of something

    nu-metal music
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nu1

1885–90; < Greek nû < Semitic; 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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sam Rivers, the bassist and founding member of US nu metal band Limp Bizkit has died at the age of 48.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2025

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

Choosing the indie route gave her space to experiment with sounds from nu metal to New Jack Swing to U.K. garage and hone her talent for turning personal introspection into genre-defying dance-pop.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 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

Her indignation came to her in English, even as she recalled a Chinese saying, Lao xu cbeng nu — constant shame becomes anger.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.