nun

¹

[ nuhn ]

noun

1. a woman member of a religious order, especially one bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
2. any of various birds, especially a domestic variety of pigeon.

nun

²

[ noon, noon ]

noun

1. the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

nūn

³

[ noon ]

noun

1. the 25th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Nun

⁴

[ noon ]

noun

, Egyptian Religion.

1. oldest of the ancient Egyptian gods, personifying the primordial ocean from which the world was formed; father of Ra, the sun god.

nun

¹

/ nʌn /

noun

1. a female member of a religious order
2. sometimes capital a variety of domestic fancy pigeon usually having a black-and-white plumage with a ridged peak or cowl of short white feathers

nun

²

/ nʊn /

noun

1. the 14th letter in the Hebrew alphabet (נ or, at the end of a word, ן), transliterated as n

nun

1. A female member of a religious order , living in a convent , whose work is confined to the convent. The term is also applied broadly to other female members of religious orders (“sisters”) who often live outside their convents and work as teachers, nurses, social workers, or administrators.

Derived Forms

• ˈnunlike, adjective

Other Words From

• nunlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nun¹

before 900; Middle English, Old English nunne < Medieval Latin nonna, feminine of nonnus monk

Origin of nun²

First recorded in 1875–80, nun is from the Hebrew word nūn literally, fish

Origin of nun³

From Arabic; nun ², nu ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of nun¹

Old English nunne, from Church Latin nonna, from Late Latin: form of address used for an elderly woman

Example Sentences

Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe is a nun of the Sacred Heart who rescues young girls from sexual slavery and rebel attacks in Uganda.

From The Daily Beast

The typical habit for a nun was a, “long-sleeved tunic, reaching the floor and no décolleté, showing,” Campagnol says.

From The Daily Beast

Piazza talks to Sister Madonna Buder, the “Iron Nun,” who is the oldest person to ever finish an Ironman Triathlon.

From The Daily Beast

These are the celebrities of the nun world, and here is their story.

From The Daily Beast

Apparently, Ryan tried bragging about how he sleeps in a cot in his office—to a nun.

From The Daily Beast

Looking through this hole, the king perceived an old man weeping, a man in mourning garb singing, and a nun or widow dancing.

From Project Gutenberg

Then through a hole in the door I saw an old man crying, a dancing nun, and a man in mourning singing.

From Project Gutenberg

Beauty was still hers, and the dress of grayish hue, nun-like in its simplicity, seemed more than royal robe.

From Project Gutenberg

Nerto becomes a nun, but Don Rodrigue, with a band of ribald followers, succeeds in carrying her off with all the other nuns.

From Project Gutenberg

Are you of those who think a husband should come to them as one whose youth has been the youth of cloistered nun?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• sister