Nanosecond
/ˈnæn.oʊˌsɛk.ənd/noun
A unit of time equal to one billionth of a second.
Did you know?The word combines Greek nanos, “dwarf,” with second from Latin secundus, “following,” because a second was historically the next division after a minute.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
nanos
“Dwarf; a very small person or thing”
Ancient Rome
Latin
secundus
“Following; second in order, from sequi, “to follow””
Medieval Latin
Latin
secunda
“A second division of an hour or another measured unit”
14th Century
Middle English
secounde
“The second division of a minute; the modern time unit”
1950s
Scientific English
nano-
“A metric prefix denoting one billionth, adopted from Greek nanos, “dwarf””
20th Century
English
nanosecond
“One billionth of a second, used especially in physics, computing, and electronics”