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

Also Nu

[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.

Other Word Forms

• nunlike 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

My teachers were nuns, the parish priests were Dominicans, and Sunday mass was a celebration of faith, humility and grace.

From Los Angeles Times

The attempt came just 17 days after a Manson follower in a nun’s habit, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, pointed a gun at Ford in Sacramento.

From Los Angeles Times

Three Austrian nuns in their 80s have run away from the old people's home where they were placed and gone back to their former convent.

From BBC

The College still stands as a symbol of Newman's theology and is maintained by a group of devoted nuns, with much of it remaining untouched since the early Victorian era.

From BBC

Recalling the home, ran by an order of nuns called the Bon Secours Sisters, she decided the institution would be her subject.

From BBC

Related Words

• sister