nano- [NA noh], nan-, nanno-, -nania
(Greek: dwarf, dwarfish; pygmy; "little old man;" very small or tiny; also, a decimal prefix used in the international metric system for measurements)
This prefix is used in the metric [decimal] system as billionth [U.S.] and thousand-millionth [U.K.], 10-9 [0.000 000 001]. The metric symbol for nano- is n.
nanomelia
1. A condition of having disproportionately short or small limbs; micromelia.
2. Achondroplasia: a birth deformity characterised by imperfect bone formation. It results in dwarfs with normal-sized heads but short arms and legs.
nanometer
A unit of length which is equal to one-billionth (10-9) of a meter.
nanomole
nanon
nanophanerophyte
A shrub, or plant, under two meters in height.
nanophase
Nanophase metals, ceramics and other solids, are made of the same atoms as their more common forms, but the atoms are arranged in nanometer-size clusters, which become the constituent grains, or building blocks, of these new materials.
Whereas the grains in conventional materials range from microns to millimeters in diameter and contain several billion atoms, those in nanophase materials are less than 100 nanometers in diameter and contain fewer than tens of thousands of atoms.
nanophilia
A strong sexual attraction to short or small people.
nanophthalmos
1. A condition in which both eyes are abnormally small but otherwise normal.
2. Microphthalmos; developmental defect causing moderate or severe reduction in the size of an eye that is otherwise normal; a nanophthalmic eye is very hyperopic and prone to angle-closure glaucoma.
nanophyll
nanophyllous
nanophytoflagellate
nanoplankton, nanoplanktonic
1. Minute (very tiny) planktonic organisms that formerly passed through a 0.03-0.04 mm mesh silk bolting cloth; very small forms of plankton.
2. Plankton of minute size, especially plankton composed of orgnisms measuring from two to twenty micrometers.
Nanosaurus, Nanosaur
A “dwarf (pygmy) lizard” from Late Jurassic Colorado and Utah (USA). Named by Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) in 1877.
nanoscale
1. Relating to or occurring on a scale of nanometers.
2. Referring to extremely small dimensions in the range of 100 nanometers or less, or to materials or objects existing at this level.
nanoscience
The study of materials and phenomena existing at a highly miniaturized level, especially at dimensions of around one nanometer.
Nanoscience permits technology to operate within a single human cell.
Additional topics are available at Nanotechnology:
Index of Articles.
Related "few, small, less, little" word units:
micro-;
mini-;
mio-, meio-;
oligo-, olig-.
Related "metric" families:
yotta;
zetta;
exa;
peta;
tera;
giga;
mega;
kilo;
hecto;
deka;
deci;
centi;
milli;
micro;
pico;
femto;
atto;
zepto;
yocto.
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