Nanos
/ˈnæn.oʊz/noun
The plural of nano, referring to units or objects associated with the prefix nano-, meaning one billionth.
Did you know?The scientific prefix nano- was adopted in 1960 from Ancient Greek νᾶνος, meaning “dwarf,” transforming an old word for extreme smallness into a measurement equal to one-billionth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
νᾶνος (nanos)
“Dwarf or very small person”
Late Antiquity
Latin
nanus
“Dwarf; a small person, borrowed from Greek”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
nano-
“A combining form denoting extreme smallness, based on Greek nanos”
1960
International scientific usage
nano-
“The SI prefix for one billionth, or 10⁻⁹”
20th Century
English
nano
“A unit or object relating to the nano- scale”
Modern English
English
nanos
“Plural of nano”
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