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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; 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

Vocabulary lists containing nu

Scrabble: Two-Letter Words

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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.

Sampa says her upcoming album, which does not yet have a release date, falls into a genre she calls "nu Zamrock".

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 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

Bridgers and her band marched out to Disturbed’s regrettably meme-able nu metal anthem “Down With the Sickness,” which started the night with her loquacious tongue placed firmly in cheek.

From Washington Post • Jun. 12, 2022

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

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.