nano-comb. form

Stress is determined by a range of factors though some degree of stress is usually maintained on this combining form.

Forms: 1900s– nanno-, 1900s– nano-.

Origin: Either (i) a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element. Or (ii) a borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element. Etymons: Latin nānus , -o- connective; Greek νᾶνος , -o- connective.

Etymology: < classical Latin nānus (also nannus) or its etymon ancient Greek νᾶνος (also νάννος) dwarf (further etymology obscure) + -o- connective.Attested earliest at the beginning of the 20th cent. in the French loan nanophanerophyte n. and the German loan nanoplankton n. English formations are found from the mid 20th cent. onwards. Compare French nano- (1867 in nanocéphalie ), German nano- . With the specific use in sense 1 compare the following:1947 Compt. Rend. de la 14me Conf. (Union Internat. de Chimie) 115 The following prefixes to abbreviations for the names of units should be used to indicate the specified multiples or sub-multiples of these units:..n nano- 10⁻⁹ ×.1952 Wireless World May 187/2 The prefixes ‘pico’ and ‘nano’ became popular in this country fifteen or twenty years ago, mostly through the technical publications of Philips and others, with ‘pico’ as favourite. O.E.D. Suppl. (1976) gives also the pronunciations (nēⁱ·no-, nā·no-) /ˈneɪnəʊ/ /ˈnɑːnəʊ/.

Chiefly Science.

a. Prefixed to the name of a unit of measurement to denote a factor of 10⁻⁹ (one thousand-millionth); symbol n.

nanoamp n.

Brit.

/ˈnanəʊamp/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌæmp/

ΚΠ

1967 Science 6 Oct. 162/1 (advt.) Anode Dark Current Nanoamps.

1978 Sci. Amer. Apr. 39/1 Within the probe a tiny silver/silver chloride and platinum cell polarographically measures the oxygen tension, which is linearly related to the reduction current of a few nanoamps.

1994 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91 10729/1 Neuromuscular transmission occurs..with peak amplitudes of several nanoamps.

nanoampere n.

Brit.

/ˌnanəʊˈampɛː/

/ˈnanəʊˌampɛː/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊˈæmˌpɪ(ə)r/

/ˌnænoʊˈæmˌpɛ(ə)r/

ΚΠ

1962 Flight Internat. 82 634/2 Designers are talking in terms of nanoAmperes.

1998 Independent 13 Jan. 12/3 The currents were tiny—a few nanoamperes, or billions of times less than that in household items.

nanoequivalent n.

Brit.

/ˌnanəʊᵻˈkwɪvələnt/

/ˌnanəʊᵻˈkwɪvəln̩t/

/ˌnanəʊᵻˈkwɪvl̩(ə)nt/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊəˈkwɪv(ə)lənt/

/ˌnænoʊiˈkwɪv(ə)lənt/

one thousand-millionth of a gram-equivalent.

ΚΠ

1967 McGraw-Hill Yearbk. Sci. & Technol. 146 Accuracy and precision [of coulometric analysis]..range from a few hundredths of a per cent at the hundred microequivalent level..to approximately 10% at the five nanoequivalent level.

1991 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88 5303/1 After 30 min at 30°C, 40 μl of a 50% aqueous suspension of avidin-agarose (2 nanoequivalents of biotin binding capacity; Pierce) was added.

nanofarad n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌfarad/

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌfarəd/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌfɛˌræd/

/ˈnænoʊˌfɛrəd/

ΚΠ

1951 Wireless World Nov. 458/1 This is undesirable..if another metric value, the nF (nano-farad) could be accepted for one-milliardth of a farad... Originally introduced—so far as I know—in Germany and also used in other Continental countries before the war, this nano abbreviation is now, in the Indonesian PTT, as normal as km for length of wire.

1995 Sci. Amer. Feb. 79/2 The drivers described here will have a capacitance of about two nanofarads, so the inductance required is about 20 millihenrys.

nanohenry n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌhɛnri/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌhɛnri/

ΚΠ

1966 Random House Dict. Eng. Lang. Nanohenry, one billionth of a henry.

1994 Instruments & Exper. Techniques 37 429/1 A device that can measure the inductance of coils from several nanohenry to tens of henry.

1997 Electronic Engin. Times 21 July 68/3 In circuits using six parallel Sanyo MV-GX series 16-V 1,000-microfarad capacitors,..the ESL is near 5 to 6 nanohenries.

nanokelvin n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌkɛlvɪn/

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɛlvɪn/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌkɛlv(ə)n/

/ˌnænoʊˈkɛlv(ə)n/

ΚΠ

1981 Indian Jrnl. Cryogenics 6 199/1 Spontaneous ordering of nuclear spins in metallic copper in the nanokelvin region of temperature (100 nk) has..been reported.

1990 Sci. Amer. June 64/1 In laboratories, temperatures measured in nanokelvins and picokelvins are being achieved.

1995 New Scientist 25 Mar. 20/1 Late last month, a team at NIST headquarters..reported cooling caesium atoms to 700 nanokelvin, or 0.7 millionth of a degree above absolute zero.

nanolitre n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌliːtə/

U.S.

/ˈnænəˌlidər/

(also U.S.nanoliter)

ΚΠ

1964 Science 9 Oct. 326/2 (advt.) Nanoliter advanced osmometer—An improved, simplified version of the Ramsay–Brown apparatus.

1974 Nature 26 Apr. 774/2 The use of injection experiments..demands careful quantitative control over the injection of nanolitre volumes of material.

2000 Newsweek 1 Jan. 89/2 Researchers at MIT recently made a prototype for an entire mini-pharmacy: a microchip..that can hold 25 nanoliters of anything from painkillers to antibiotics.

nanotesla n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌtɛslə/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌtɛslə/

ΚΠ

1970 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 267 227 The units of magnetic field used are the nanotesla..and the microtesla.

1979 Antiquaries Jrnl. 59 304 A topsoil-filled pit 1 m. in diameter and depth, with its top 0.3m below the surface, would give a detectable magnetic anomaly of 2.4 nanotesla.

1992 Astron. Now July 47/2 The strength of the interplanetary magnetic field near the Earth is on average 5 nanoteslas.

nanowatt n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)wɒt/

U.S.

/ˈnænəˌwɑt/

ΚΠ

1965 Science 17 Sept. 1409 (caption) The set permits very narrow bandwidth measurements..of pilots as low as −63 dbm (0.5 nanowatt) with 0.1 db (1%) accuracy.

1986 Citizens' Band Dec. 15/1 Our original specification paid scant attention to this side of the rig, content merely to ensure that receiver spurii should not exceed 20 nanowatts.

1996 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93 15141/1 Extreme sensitivity allows the experimentalist to work with light power levels in the nanowatt range.

b. Relating to a scale of 10⁻⁹ metre; having dimensions of the order of 1 to 100 nanometres; spec. relating to or involving nanotechnology; constructed by or performed using nanotechnology.

(a)

nanodevice n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)dᵻˌvʌɪs/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊdəˌvaɪs/

/ˈnænoʊdiˌvaɪs/

ΚΠ

1991 Jrnl. Micromech. & Microengin. 1 Pref. The conference was intended to provide a cross-disciplinary forum for those involved in micro/nano device physics.

1993 Wired Dec. 87/1 For the time being, at least, it may make more sense to fabricate nanodevices in the same way that chemists fabricate exotic compounds: by using the capability of molecules to self-assemble.

2000 Sciences July 30/1 It might be possible to construct, from biological parts, nanodevices that could inspect the cells of a human being and carry on repairs within them.

nanoelectronics n.

Brit.

/ˌnanəʊᵻˌlɛkˈtrɒnɪks/

/ˌnanəʊˌɛlɛkˈtrɒnɪks/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊəˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks/

/ˌnænoʊiˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks/

ΚΠ

1972 Electron & Ion Beam Sci. & Technol. Fifth Internat. Conf. 31 (heading) Nanoelectronics.

1988 New Scientist 19 May 34/1 American chemists have taken their first steps in the unfamiliar terrain of nanoelectronics—a new area of study that promises the next step in computer miniaturisation.

1996 Microelectronic Engin. 34 125 The transition from micro- to nanoelectronics now seems unavoidable.

nanofabrication n.

Brit.

/ˌnanə(ʊ)fabrᵻˈkeɪʃn/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊˌfæbrəˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/

ΚΠ

1983 Science 27 May 942/3 A possible outcome of molecular electronics research is that..researchers will uncover new micro- or nanofabrication techniques quite different from those they now imagine.

1990 Bellcore Insight Winter 13/2 In the past few years, there has been tremendous progress in nanofabrication techniques (the ability to put down atomically thin layers producing a whole new realm of two-dimensional ‘lattice matter’ that doesn't exist in nature).

1998 New Scientist 7 Mar. 37/2 They hope to use the nanofabrication facility at Cornell University..to make high electron mobility transistors.

nanolithography n.

Brit.

/ˌnanə(ʊ)lᵻˈθɒɡrəfi/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊləˈθɑɡrəfi/

ΚΠ

1981 Jrnl. Vacuum Sci. & Technol. 19 946/1 An electron beam system specifically designed and developed for nanolithography has been described by Lee and Ahmed.

1993 Nature 30 Sept. 391/1 Recent developments in nanolithography have enabled metal dots to be patterned that are small enough for single electrons to be counted entering or leaving.

nanomachine n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)məˌʃiːn/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊməˌʃin/

/ˈnænəməˌʃin/

ΚΠ

1986 K. E. Drexler Engines of Creation i. 5 The engineers of the new technology will build both nanocircuits and nanomachines.

1988 Sci. Amer. Jan. 88/1 There are already aqueous nanomachines (of a kind) in nature. Consider the well-known T4 bacteriophage, which replicates itself by invading the body of a bacterial host.

1998 Interzone July 18/1 Soon, at the top of the crystal column, a billion nanomachines were swarming and polymerizing surplus atoms into carbon-chains with pyridazine rings as switches.

nanoparticle n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌpɑːtᵻkl/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌpɑrdək(ə)l/

ΚΠ

1989 Pharmaceut. Jrnl. 243 322/3 His research interest is in the area of new drug delivery systems, as nanocapsules (solidified drug micelles), nanoparticles (colloidal drug suspensions) and drug-bound, excipient-free liposomal systems.

1994 Nature 25 Aug. 603/1 Fullerenes can be formed in hydrocarbon flames... Carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles, along with soot particles containing fullerene-like shells, can also be formed in this way.

1998 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95 15169/1 It is of fundamental importance for understanding the properties of inorganic materials (e.g., ceramics composed of nanoparticles), foods such as milk, and solutions of biomacromolecules.

nanorobot n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌrəʊbɒt/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌroʊˌbɑt/

/ˈnænoʊˌroʊbət/

ΚΠ

1988 E. S. Raymond 2 Good Reasons for doing Self-timed Logic in comp.arch (Usenet newsgroup) 26 Feb. 3D VLSI assembled by nanorobots provides another way out.

1990 Sci. Amer. Jan. 10/3 Yet life in the nanofuture will not be all roses, Drexler fears: ‘gray goo’ weapons might be developed—soups of omnivorous nanorobots that could reduce the biosphere to dust.

1993 A. Toffler & H. Toffler War & Anti-war xiv. 120 Nano-robots would be small enough to operate like submarines in the bloodstream of humans.

(b)

nanoelectronic adj.

Brit.

/ˌnanəʊᵻˌlɛkˈtrɒnɪk/

/ˌnanəʊˌɛlɛkˈtrɒnɪk/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊəˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪk/

/ˌnænoʊiˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪk/

ΚΠ

1973 Jrnl. Vacuum Sci. & Technol. 10 1132/1 At the completion of our five-year nanoelectronic project we assess the results and state-of-the-art reached by this technology.

1992 Discover Feb. 20/3 These molecules are very difficult and very expensive to make... They're not practical for large-scale light-harvesting. They'll be potentially much more practical for nanoelectronic devices.

nanomechanical adj.

Brit.

/ˌnanə(ʊ)mᵻˈkanᵻkl/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊməˈkænək(ə)l/

ΚΠ

1989 Jrnl. Vacuum Sci. & Technol. A. 7 2906 This allows the AFM to study both the nanomechanical properties of the sample and the forces associated with the tip–surface interaction.

1993 Personal Computer World May 483/3 Mobile interfaces and strong, stiff nanostructures can be combined to build a wide range of nanomechanical systems, including mechanical computers.

1995 E. Regis Nano! xiv. 252 Good nanomechanical bearings can turn freely, with remarkably low friction.

(c)

nanocomposite n. and adj.

Brit.

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəzɪt/

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəsɪt/

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəzʌɪt/

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəsʌɪt/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊkəmˈpɑzət/

/ˌnænoʊˌkɑmˈpɑzət/

(designating) a composite material that has a grain size measured in nanometres.

ΚΠ

1986 Superlattices & Microstruct. 2 124/1 The fabrication techniques currently available for thin film nanocomposites include Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), [etc.].

1992 Sci. News 11 July 20/2 This nanocomposite works so well that it shows promise as a medium for information storage or as a coolant in magnetic refrigerators.

1994 Nature 24 Mar. 290/2 There are many noncatalytic applications, including the production of nanocomposite electrochromics or solid electrolytes, to which we may look forward.

2000 New Scientist 8 Apr. 101/2 (advt.) Grain boundary strengthening and surface mechanical properties of sinterable alumina matrix nanocomposites.

nanofibre n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌfʌɪbə/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌfaɪbər/

a fibre having a diameter measured in nanometres, made of any of various artificial materials typically with applications in medicine, electronics, etc.; (also) material made of such fibres.

ΚΠ

1991 Nucl. Instruments & Methods Physics Res. B. 62 109/1 Fields where well-established applications already exist include..conductive polymer nano-fibers fabrication.

1996 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 28 Sept. 42 The next thing will be nano-fibre which will make the finest microfibre look like old rope.

2000 Independent on Sunday 2 Jan. ii. 1/5 They then synthesised a logical copy, with all the anatomical details and all the characteristics of the synapses, but laid out as a honeycomb of silicon nanofibres.

2013 A. Rutherford Creation: Future of Life ii. 43 in Creation: Origin of Life As if the circuitry of synthetic biology was not impressive enough, the biocapsule is made from carbon nanofibres.

nanomaterial n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)məˌtɪərɪəl/

/ˌnanə(ʊ)məˈtɪərɪəl/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊməˌtɪriəl/

/ˌnænoʊməˈtɪriəl/

Materials Science a material that has particles or constituents which are of nanoscale dimensions or is produced by nanotechnology.

ΚΠ

1989 Res. Opportunities for Materials with Ultrafine Microstruct. (National Res. Council (U.S.)) p. xiii Table 1... Properties of nano materials compared with their crystalline counterparts.

1994 Science 23 Dec. 1961/1 A relatively new method for preparing nanomaterials..is reviewed. This method entails synthesis of the desired material within the pores of a nanoporous membrane.

2004 Hartford (Connecticut) Mag. Feb. 54/2 Nanomaterials for thermal sprayed coatings, magnetics, catalysts and biosensors.

nanomedicine n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌmɛd(ᵻ)s(ᵻ)n/

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈmɛd(ᵻ)s(ᵻ)n/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌmɛdəs(ə)n/

/ˌnænoʊˈmɛdəs(ə)n/

(the branch of medicine concerned with) the medical use of nanotechnology; (also) nanotechnological medication.

ΚΠ

1991 K. E. Drexler et al. Unbounding Future x. 206 One approach to nanomedicine would make use of microscopic mobile devices built using molecular-manufacturing equipment.

2000 D. D'Souza Virtue of Prosperity viii. 207 Nanomedicine..is microsurgery to repair individual DNA molecules and proteins.

2013 Wall St. Jrnl. 7 Dec. c4/3 The ability to deliver nanomedicine orally..would open doors to treating many chronic diseases that require daily therapy, such as diabetes and cancer.

nanophase adj.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)feɪz/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌfeɪz/

designating a material composed of one or more phases, each phase being present in the form of grains or discrete particles a few nanometres in size.

ΚΠ

1988 Materials Lett. 6 195/1 It was expected that nanophase TiO₂..would have better performance characteristics than material prepared from coarser powders.

1991 R. W. Siegel in R. W. Cahn Processing Metals & Alloys 583 During the creation of our universe, there were nanophase materials. Evidence from the earliest meteorites suggests that primordial materials with nanometer-scale phase structures condensed from our solar nebula.

1995 Discover Dec. 63/3 Nanophase ceramics..can be deformed, which means the parts could in theory be pressed into shape in a die.

nanopore n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)pɔː/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌpɔr/

a pore or cavity having dimensions measured in nanometres.

ΚΠ

1979 Jrnl. Materials Sci. 14 240/1 For ease of description we have called these types of nitridation-induced porosity micro-pores, nano-pores, and pico-pores in order of their decreasing size.

1999 New Scientist 16 Oct. 41/3 To make a real gene sequence, one that unzips DNA by dragging it through a hole, much tougher nanopores are needed.

2008 Sci. Amer. (U.K. ed.) Aug. 73/1 The silica layers had created a vast warren of nanopores, forming a sponge that soaked up any surface water instantly.

nanoporous adj.

Brit.

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈpɔːrəs/

U.S.

/ˌnænoʊˈpɔrəs/

containing nanopores.

ΚΠ

1979 Proc. AAMI 14th Ann. Meeting (Assoc. Advancem. Med. Instrumentation) 141/1 The collagen fibrils, about 20–100 nm in diameter, lock into this ‘nanoporous’ surface.

1990 Science 9 Feb. 677/1 Cluster electronic properties can be altered by varying the dielectric and charge properties of the nanoporous host.

2013 K. E. Drexler Radical Abundance Notes 326 Short carbon nanotubes and nanoporous graphene provide models for flow pathways through low-resistance membranes.

nanorod n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)rɒd/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌrɑd/

a rod of material having a diameter measured in nanometres.

ΚΠ

1993 Dr. Dobb's Jrnl. Oct. 128/2 Satisfied that nanocams and nanorods are possible, Drexler extends this line of thinking to the construction of very small computers.

1994 Ann. Rep. Robert A. Welch Found. 47 Peptides adopting a two stranded β-sheet structure in aqueous solution can be made to self-assemble into nanorods..by adjusting the pH.

2005 Wired Dec. 120/1 A compressed type of carbon, the aggregated diamond nanorod is the hardest material the human race has ever made.

nanoscience n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌsʌɪəns/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌsaɪəns/

the study of objects, phenomena, etc., on the nanometre scale; (chiefly in plural) any of the branches of science concerned with this.

ΚΠ

1991 Nature 24 Jan. 315/1 The recent interest in nanoscience has stimulated much research in the area.

2003 S. Greenfield Tomorrow's People (2004) vii. 194 Basic research into nanoscience was tool-driven, leading immediately to practical applications in virtually all aspects of life.

2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 23 Sept. e8/2 The biosecurity and nanosciences laboratory at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

2013 Atlantic Nov. 66/3 Companies..are using advances in materials and nanoscience—‘the science of the small’—to develop truly disruptive technologies.

nanoscopic adj.

Brit.

/ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈskɒpɪk/

U.S.

/ˌnænəˈskɑpɪk/

having or involving dimensions in the range 1 to 100 nanometres, nanoscale.

ΚΠ

1989 Biochimie 71 19/2 LB [= Langmuir–Blodgett] films..have a nanoscopic thickness.

1995 Sci. Amer. May 62/1 Donald A. Tomalia is..director of nanoscopic chemistry and architecture at the Michigan Molecular Institute.

2003 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 10 May 5 This ‘hydrophobic’ glass treatment..claims to cover the nanoscopic cracks on the surface of glass to allow water droplets to disperse much faster.

nanosphere n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)sfɪə/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌsfɪ(ə)r/

(a) a sphere of material having a diameter measured in nanometres; (b) the world of extremely small things, esp. of nanoscience.

ΚΠ

1980 R. L. Hines in Proc. 38th Ann. Meeting Electron Microsc. Soc. Amer. 182 A carbon nanosphere is considered to be an approximately spherical particle of amorphous, nonporus [sic] pure carbon with a radius of several nanometers.

1999 New Scientist 20 Feb. 43/3 The solubility of the outside shell means the nanospheres could be suspended in the bloodstream.

2008 C. Rehmann-Sutter in J. S. Ach & B. Lüttenberg Nanobiotechnol., Nanomed. & Human Enhancem. 28 The AFM [= atomic force microscope]..is helping us to see tiny structures in the nanosphere.

2012 Observer 14 Oct. (New Review section) 22/5 Brown refers to the fly as the latest addition to the entomological ‘nanosphere’, a world of ultra-small insects dominated by trichogrammatid and mymarid wasps.

nanotube n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)tjuːb/

/ˈnanə(ʊ)tʃuːb/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌt(j)ub/

a structure consisting of one or more sheets of carbon atoms rolled up in the form of a cylinder, two or more concentric cylinders, or a cylindrical scroll; a buckytube; (also) any analogous tubular molecule composed of atoms other than carbon.

ΚΠ

1992 Nature 16 July 220/1 Interest in carbon fibres has been stimulated greatly by the recent discovery of hollow graphitic tubules of nanometre dimensions. There has been much speculation about the properties and potential application of these nanotubes.

1994 Superlattices & Microstruct. 16 133/1 Chrysotile asbestos..is a regular set of closely packed parallel dielectric nanotubes.

1997 G. Bear Slant (1998) 241 I've heard that all the carbon fibers—nanotubes, linked fullerenes, etc.—are tuned for conductivity and that the entire skin is sensitive.

nanowire n.

Brit.

/ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌwʌɪə/

U.S.

/ˈnænoʊˌwaɪ(ə)r/

wire, or a wire, that has a thickness or diameter of a few nanometres.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > metal in specific state or form > [noun] > wire > types of

silver wire14..

white wire1463

virginal wire1662

pin-wire1674

binding wire1767

pinion wire1767

electric wire1819

music wire1823

gutta-percha-wire1876

No. eight1876

picture wire1876

number eight1952

microwire1953

plated wire1960

nanowire1990

1990 Jrnl. Appl. Physics 68 1134/1 The starting material for nanowire fabrication was sample NH836c because of its high mobility at 77K.

1993 Nature 28 Jan. 334/1 In effect the interior of the nanotube acts as a mould for fabrication of a ‘nanowire’. In Fig. 3c, the thinner wire has a diameter of less than 1.5 nm.

1997 A. C. Clarke 2001 vi. 40 He had felt nothing except a gentle tickling as the myriad of nano-wires wormed their way through his scalp.

2. colloquial. Prefixed to nouns (often in ad hoc formations): extremely small; of very brief duration. Also occasionally prefixed to adjectives: to a very small degree; negligibly.

ΚΠ

1966 New Scientist 1 Dec. 530/2 A megaskirt ends six inches below the knee,..a nanoskirt nine inches above, and a picoskirt ends one foot above the knee, fortunately.

1970 J. Blish Spock must Die! vi. 41 We get proximity explosion one nano-jiffy later.

1983 Verbatim Spring 21/1 What a microcephalic, nanocerebral ninnyhammer ought to do.

1988 Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 28 Aug. (Mag. section) 24 A dwarf art gallery complete with a smugly superior pink-haired pico-receptionist filing her nano-nails.

1994 Independent on Sunday 4 Sept. (Review Suppl.) 52/2 This was an accomplished performance; she left not a nano-pause for me to reveal my ignorance.

1998 N.Y. Times 27 Mar. b38/6 The early 1980's nano-trend of Energism.

3. Chiefly Computing. Prefixed to nouns and adjectives with reference to compounds formed with micro- (or occasionally macro-): smaller; less complex; made at a more fundamental level.

ΚΠ

1977 G. Friedert & J. Miller in Micro 10 Proc. (IEEE) 27/2 It is possible for one microinstruction to point to a program consisting of several nanoinstructions.

1982 F. J. Galland Dict. Computing 168/2 The use of a microinstruction decoder is said to constitute a nanolevel and an input to the decoder (a vertical microinstruction) may be termed a nanoinstruction.

1991 Dr. Dobb's Jrnl. Oct. 70/1 Threads are ‘nanotasks’—in other words, the smallest possible state living in address space.

1993 Byte Feb. 161/1 Some companies talk about nanocellular systems that cover an office building with thousands of cells often no more than 3 or 4 feet in diameter.

1994 N.Y. Times 8 Mar. c11/2 Carl Kalkhof..drove up with his wife, Anita, to run his nanomouse, a smaller and less advanced robot than the micromouse, in a maze competition.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	nano-
释义	nano-comb. form Stress is determined by a range of factors though some degree of stress is usually maintained on this combining form. Forms: 1900s– nanno-, 1900s– nano-. Origin: Either (i) a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element. Or (ii) a borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element. Etymons: Latin nānus , -o- connective; Greek νᾶνος , -o- connective. Etymology: < classical Latin nānus (also nannus) or its etymon ancient Greek νᾶνος (also νάννος) dwarf (further etymology obscure) + -o- connective.Attested earliest at the beginning of the 20th cent. in the French loan nanophanerophyte n. and the German loan nanoplankton n. English formations are found from the mid 20th cent. onwards. Compare French nano- (1867 in nanocéphalie ), German nano- . With the specific use in sense 1 compare the following:1947 Compt. Rend. de la 14me Conf. (Union Internat. de Chimie) 115 The following prefixes to abbreviations for the names of units should be used to indicate the specified multiples or sub-multiples of these units:..n nano- 10⁻⁹ ×.1952 Wireless World May 187/2 The prefixes ‘pico’ and ‘nano’ became popular in this country fifteen or twenty years ago, mostly through the technical publications of Philips and others, with ‘pico’ as favourite. O.E.D. Suppl. (1976) gives also the pronunciations (nēⁱ·no-, nā·no-) /ˈneɪnəʊ/ /ˈnɑːnəʊ/. Chiefly Science. 1. a. Prefixed to the name of a unit of measurement to denote a factor of 10⁻⁹ (one thousand-millionth); symbol n. nanoamp n. Brit. /ˈnanəʊamp/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌæmp/ ΚΠ 1967 Science 6 Oct. 162/1 (advt.) Anode Dark Current Nanoamps. 1978 Sci. Amer. Apr. 39/1 Within the probe a tiny silver/silver chloride and platinum cell polarographically measures the oxygen tension, which is linearly related to the reduction current of a few nanoamps. 1994 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91 10729/1 Neuromuscular transmission occurs..with peak amplitudes of several nanoamps. nanoampere n. Brit. /ˌnanəʊˈampɛː/ , /ˈnanəʊˌampɛː/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊˈæmˌpɪ(ə)r/ , /ˌnænoʊˈæmˌpɛ(ə)r/ ΚΠ 1962 Flight Internat. 82 634/2 Designers are talking in terms of nanoAmperes. 1998 Independent 13 Jan. 12/3 The currents were tiny—a few nanoamperes, or billions of times less than that in household items. nanoequivalent n. Brit. /ˌnanəʊᵻˈkwɪvələnt/ , /ˌnanəʊᵻˈkwɪvəln̩t/ , /ˌnanəʊᵻˈkwɪvl̩(ə)nt/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊəˈkwɪv(ə)lənt/ , /ˌnænoʊiˈkwɪv(ə)lənt/ one thousand-millionth of a gram-equivalent. ΚΠ 1967 McGraw-Hill Yearbk. Sci. & Technol. 146 Accuracy and precision [of coulometric analysis]..range from a few hundredths of a per cent at the hundred microequivalent level..to approximately 10% at the five nanoequivalent level. 1991 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88 5303/1 After 30 min at 30°C, 40 μl of a 50% aqueous suspension of avidin-agarose (2 nanoequivalents of biotin binding capacity; Pierce) was added. nanofarad n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌfarad/ , /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌfarəd/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌfɛˌræd/ , /ˈnænoʊˌfɛrəd/ ΚΠ 1951 Wireless World Nov. 458/1 This is undesirable..if another metric value, the nF (nano-farad) could be accepted for one-milliardth of a farad... Originally introduced—so far as I know—in Germany and also used in other Continental countries before the war, this nano abbreviation is now, in the Indonesian PTT, as normal as km for length of wire. 1995 Sci. Amer. Feb. 79/2 The drivers described here will have a capacitance of about two nanofarads, so the inductance required is about 20 millihenrys. nanohenry n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌhɛnri/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌhɛnri/ ΚΠ 1966 Random House Dict. Eng. Lang. Nanohenry, one billionth of a henry. 1994 Instruments & Exper. Techniques 37 429/1 A device that can measure the inductance of coils from several nanohenry to tens of henry. 1997 Electronic Engin. Times 21 July 68/3 In circuits using six parallel Sanyo MV-GX series 16-V 1,000-microfarad capacitors,..the ESL is near 5 to 6 nanohenries. nanokelvin n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌkɛlvɪn/ , /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɛlvɪn/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌkɛlv(ə)n/ , /ˌnænoʊˈkɛlv(ə)n/ ΚΠ 1981 Indian Jrnl. Cryogenics 6 199/1 Spontaneous ordering of nuclear spins in metallic copper in the nanokelvin region of temperature (100 nk) has..been reported. 1990 Sci. Amer. June 64/1 In laboratories, temperatures measured in nanokelvins and picokelvins are being achieved. 1995 New Scientist 25 Mar. 20/1 Late last month, a team at NIST headquarters..reported cooling caesium atoms to 700 nanokelvin, or 0.7 millionth of a degree above absolute zero. nanolitre n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌliːtə/ , U.S. /ˈnænəˌlidər/ (also U.S.nanoliter) ΚΠ 1964 Science 9 Oct. 326/2 (advt.) Nanoliter advanced osmometer—An improved, simplified version of the Ramsay–Brown apparatus. 1974 Nature 26 Apr. 774/2 The use of injection experiments..demands careful quantitative control over the injection of nanolitre volumes of material. 2000 Newsweek 1 Jan. 89/2 Researchers at MIT recently made a prototype for an entire mini-pharmacy: a microchip..that can hold 25 nanoliters of anything from painkillers to antibiotics. nanotesla n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌtɛslə/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌtɛslə/ ΚΠ 1970 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 267 227 The units of magnetic field used are the nanotesla..and the microtesla. 1979 Antiquaries Jrnl. 59 304 A topsoil-filled pit 1 m. in diameter and depth, with its top 0.3m below the surface, would give a detectable magnetic anomaly of 2.4 nanotesla. 1992 Astron. Now July 47/2 The strength of the interplanetary magnetic field near the Earth is on average 5 nanoteslas. nanowatt n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)wɒt/ , U.S. /ˈnænəˌwɑt/ ΚΠ 1965 Science 17 Sept. 1409 (caption) The set permits very narrow bandwidth measurements..of pilots as low as −63 dbm (0.5 nanowatt) with 0.1 db (1%) accuracy. 1986 Citizens' Band Dec. 15/1 Our original specification paid scant attention to this side of the rig, content merely to ensure that receiver spurii should not exceed 20 nanowatts. 1996 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93 15141/1 Extreme sensitivity allows the experimentalist to work with light power levels in the nanowatt range. b. Relating to a scale of 10⁻⁹ metre; having dimensions of the order of 1 to 100 nanometres; spec. relating to or involving nanotechnology; constructed by or performed using nanotechnology. (a) nanodevice n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)dᵻˌvʌɪs/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊdəˌvaɪs/ , /ˈnænoʊdiˌvaɪs/ ΚΠ 1991 Jrnl. Micromech. & Microengin. 1 Pref. The conference was intended to provide a cross-disciplinary forum for those involved in micro/nano device physics. 1993 Wired Dec. 87/1 For the time being, at least, it may make more sense to fabricate nanodevices in the same way that chemists fabricate exotic compounds: by using the capability of molecules to self-assemble. 2000 Sciences July 30/1 It might be possible to construct, from biological parts, nanodevices that could inspect the cells of a human being and carry on repairs within them. nanoelectronics n. Brit. /ˌnanəʊᵻˌlɛkˈtrɒnɪks/ , /ˌnanəʊˌɛlɛkˈtrɒnɪks/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊəˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks/ , /ˌnænoʊiˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks/ ΚΠ 1972 Electron & Ion Beam Sci. & Technol. Fifth Internat. Conf. 31 (heading) Nanoelectronics. 1988 New Scientist 19 May 34/1 American chemists have taken their first steps in the unfamiliar terrain of nanoelectronics—a new area of study that promises the next step in computer miniaturisation. 1996 Microelectronic Engin. 34 125 The transition from micro- to nanoelectronics now seems unavoidable. nanofabrication n. Brit. /ˌnanə(ʊ)fabrᵻˈkeɪʃn/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊˌfæbrəˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ ΚΠ 1983 Science 27 May 942/3 A possible outcome of molecular electronics research is that..researchers will uncover new micro- or nanofabrication techniques quite different from those they now imagine. 1990 Bellcore Insight Winter 13/2 In the past few years, there has been tremendous progress in nanofabrication techniques (the ability to put down atomically thin layers producing a whole new realm of two-dimensional ‘lattice matter’ that doesn't exist in nature). 1998 New Scientist 7 Mar. 37/2 They hope to use the nanofabrication facility at Cornell University..to make high electron mobility transistors. nanolithography n. Brit. /ˌnanə(ʊ)lᵻˈθɒɡrəfi/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊləˈθɑɡrəfi/ ΚΠ 1981 Jrnl. Vacuum Sci. & Technol. 19 946/1 An electron beam system specifically designed and developed for nanolithography has been described by Lee and Ahmed. 1993 Nature 30 Sept. 391/1 Recent developments in nanolithography have enabled metal dots to be patterned that are small enough for single electrons to be counted entering or leaving. nanomachine n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)məˌʃiːn/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊməˌʃin/ , /ˈnænəməˌʃin/ ΚΠ 1986 K. E. Drexler Engines of Creation i. 5 The engineers of the new technology will build both nanocircuits and nanomachines. 1988 Sci. Amer. Jan. 88/1 There are already aqueous nanomachines (of a kind) in nature. Consider the well-known T4 bacteriophage, which replicates itself by invading the body of a bacterial host. 1998 Interzone July 18/1 Soon, at the top of the crystal column, a billion nanomachines were swarming and polymerizing surplus atoms into carbon-chains with pyridazine rings as switches. nanoparticle n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌpɑːtᵻkl/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌpɑrdək(ə)l/ ΚΠ 1989 Pharmaceut. Jrnl. 243 322/3 His research interest is in the area of new drug delivery systems, as nanocapsules (solidified drug micelles), nanoparticles (colloidal drug suspensions) and drug-bound, excipient-free liposomal systems. 1994 Nature 25 Aug. 603/1 Fullerenes can be formed in hydrocarbon flames... Carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles, along with soot particles containing fullerene-like shells, can also be formed in this way. 1998 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95 15169/1 It is of fundamental importance for understanding the properties of inorganic materials (e.g., ceramics composed of nanoparticles), foods such as milk, and solutions of biomacromolecules. nanorobot n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌrəʊbɒt/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌroʊˌbɑt/ , /ˈnænoʊˌroʊbət/ ΚΠ 1988 E. S. Raymond 2 Good Reasons for doing Self-timed Logic in comp.arch (Usenet newsgroup) 26 Feb. 3D VLSI assembled by nanorobots provides another way out. 1990 Sci. Amer. Jan. 10/3 Yet life in the nanofuture will not be all roses, Drexler fears: ‘gray goo’ weapons might be developed—soups of omnivorous nanorobots that could reduce the biosphere to dust. 1993 A. Toffler & H. Toffler War & Anti-war xiv. 120 Nano-robots would be small enough to operate like submarines in the bloodstream of humans. (b) nanoelectronic adj. Brit. /ˌnanəʊᵻˌlɛkˈtrɒnɪk/ , /ˌnanəʊˌɛlɛkˈtrɒnɪk/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊəˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪk/ , /ˌnænoʊiˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪk/ ΚΠ 1973 Jrnl. Vacuum Sci. & Technol. 10 1132/1 At the completion of our five-year nanoelectronic project we assess the results and state-of-the-art reached by this technology. 1992 Discover Feb. 20/3 These molecules are very difficult and very expensive to make... They're not practical for large-scale light-harvesting. They'll be potentially much more practical for nanoelectronic devices. nanomechanical adj. Brit. /ˌnanə(ʊ)mᵻˈkanᵻkl/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊməˈkænək(ə)l/ ΚΠ 1989 Jrnl. Vacuum Sci. & Technol. A. 7 2906 This allows the AFM to study both the nanomechanical properties of the sample and the forces associated with the tip–surface interaction. 1993 Personal Computer World May 483/3 Mobile interfaces and strong, stiff nanostructures can be combined to build a wide range of nanomechanical systems, including mechanical computers. 1995 E. Regis Nano! xiv. 252 Good nanomechanical bearings can turn freely, with remarkably low friction. (c) nanocomposite n. and adj. Brit. /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəzɪt/ , /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəsɪt/ , /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəzʌɪt/ , /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈkɒmpəsʌɪt/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊkəmˈpɑzət/ , /ˌnænoʊˌkɑmˈpɑzət/ (designating) a composite material that has a grain size measured in nanometres. ΚΠ 1986 Superlattices & Microstruct. 2 124/1 The fabrication techniques currently available for thin film nanocomposites include Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), [etc.]. 1992 Sci. News 11 July 20/2 This nanocomposite works so well that it shows promise as a medium for information storage or as a coolant in magnetic refrigerators. 1994 Nature 24 Mar. 290/2 There are many noncatalytic applications, including the production of nanocomposite electrochromics or solid electrolytes, to which we may look forward. 2000 New Scientist 8 Apr. 101/2 (advt.) Grain boundary strengthening and surface mechanical properties of sinterable alumina matrix nanocomposites. nanofibre n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌfʌɪbə/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌfaɪbər/ a fibre having a diameter measured in nanometres, made of any of various artificial materials typically with applications in medicine, electronics, etc.; (also) material made of such fibres. ΚΠ 1991 Nucl. Instruments & Methods Physics Res. B. 62 109/1 Fields where well-established applications already exist include..conductive polymer nano-fibers fabrication. 1996 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 28 Sept. 42 The next thing will be nano-fibre which will make the finest microfibre look like old rope. 2000 Independent on Sunday 2 Jan. ii. 1/5 They then synthesised a logical copy, with all the anatomical details and all the characteristics of the synapses, but laid out as a honeycomb of silicon nanofibres. 2013 A. Rutherford Creation: Future of Life ii. 43 in Creation: Origin of Life As if the circuitry of synthetic biology was not impressive enough, the biocapsule is made from carbon nanofibres. nanomaterial n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)məˌtɪərɪəl/ , /ˌnanə(ʊ)məˈtɪərɪəl/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊməˌtɪriəl/ , /ˌnænoʊməˈtɪriəl/ Materials Science a material that has particles or constituents which are of nanoscale dimensions or is produced by nanotechnology. ΚΠ 1989 Res. Opportunities for Materials with Ultrafine Microstruct. (National Res. Council (U.S.)) p. xiii Table 1... Properties of nano materials compared with their crystalline counterparts. 1994 Science 23 Dec. 1961/1 A relatively new method for preparing nanomaterials..is reviewed. This method entails synthesis of the desired material within the pores of a nanoporous membrane. 2004 Hartford (Connecticut) Mag. Feb. 54/2 Nanomaterials for thermal sprayed coatings, magnetics, catalysts and biosensors. nanomedicine n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌmɛd(ᵻ)s(ᵻ)n/ , /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈmɛd(ᵻ)s(ᵻ)n/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌmɛdəs(ə)n/ , /ˌnænoʊˈmɛdəs(ə)n/ (the branch of medicine concerned with) the medical use of nanotechnology; (also) nanotechnological medication. ΚΠ 1991 K. E. Drexler et al. Unbounding Future x. 206 One approach to nanomedicine would make use of microscopic mobile devices built using molecular-manufacturing equipment. 2000 D. D'Souza Virtue of Prosperity viii. 207 Nanomedicine..is microsurgery to repair individual DNA molecules and proteins. 2013 Wall St. Jrnl. 7 Dec. c4/3 The ability to deliver nanomedicine orally..would open doors to treating many chronic diseases that require daily therapy, such as diabetes and cancer. nanophase adj. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)feɪz/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌfeɪz/ designating a material composed of one or more phases, each phase being present in the form of grains or discrete particles a few nanometres in size. ΚΠ 1988 Materials Lett. 6 195/1 It was expected that nanophase TiO₂..would have better performance characteristics than material prepared from coarser powders. 1991 R. W. Siegel in R. W. Cahn Processing Metals & Alloys 583 During the creation of our universe, there were nanophase materials. Evidence from the earliest meteorites suggests that primordial materials with nanometer-scale phase structures condensed from our solar nebula. 1995 Discover Dec. 63/3 Nanophase ceramics..can be deformed, which means the parts could in theory be pressed into shape in a die. nanopore n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)pɔː/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌpɔr/ a pore or cavity having dimensions measured in nanometres. ΚΠ 1979 Jrnl. Materials Sci. 14 240/1 For ease of description we have called these types of nitridation-induced porosity micro-pores, nano-pores, and pico-pores in order of their decreasing size. 1999 New Scientist 16 Oct. 41/3 To make a real gene sequence, one that unzips DNA by dragging it through a hole, much tougher nanopores are needed. 2008 Sci. Amer. (U.K. ed.) Aug. 73/1 The silica layers had created a vast warren of nanopores, forming a sponge that soaked up any surface water instantly. nanoporous adj. Brit. /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈpɔːrəs/ , U.S. /ˌnænoʊˈpɔrəs/ containing nanopores. ΚΠ 1979 Proc. AAMI 14th Ann. Meeting (Assoc. Advancem. Med. Instrumentation) 141/1 The collagen fibrils, about 20–100 nm in diameter, lock into this ‘nanoporous’ surface. 1990 Science 9 Feb. 677/1 Cluster electronic properties can be altered by varying the dielectric and charge properties of the nanoporous host. 2013 K. E. Drexler Radical Abundance Notes 326 Short carbon nanotubes and nanoporous graphene provide models for flow pathways through low-resistance membranes. nanorod n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)rɒd/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌrɑd/ a rod of material having a diameter measured in nanometres. ΚΠ 1993 Dr. Dobb's Jrnl. Oct. 128/2 Satisfied that nanocams and nanorods are possible, Drexler extends this line of thinking to the construction of very small computers. 1994 Ann. Rep. Robert A. Welch Found. 47 Peptides adopting a two stranded β-sheet structure in aqueous solution can be made to self-assemble into nanorods..by adjusting the pH. 2005 Wired Dec. 120/1 A compressed type of carbon, the aggregated diamond nanorod is the hardest material the human race has ever made. nanoscience n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌsʌɪəns/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌsaɪəns/ the study of objects, phenomena, etc., on the nanometre scale; (chiefly in plural) any of the branches of science concerned with this. ΚΠ 1991 Nature 24 Jan. 315/1 The recent interest in nanoscience has stimulated much research in the area. 2003 S. Greenfield Tomorrow's People (2004) vii. 194 Basic research into nanoscience was tool-driven, leading immediately to practical applications in virtually all aspects of life. 2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 23 Sept. e8/2 The biosecurity and nanosciences laboratory at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. 2013 Atlantic Nov. 66/3 Companies..are using advances in materials and nanoscience—‘the science of the small’—to develop truly disruptive technologies. nanoscopic adj. Brit. /ˌnanə(ʊ)ˈskɒpɪk/ , U.S. /ˌnænəˈskɑpɪk/ having or involving dimensions in the range 1 to 100 nanometres, nanoscale. ΚΠ 1989 Biochimie 71 19/2 LB [= Langmuir–Blodgett] films..have a nanoscopic thickness. 1995 Sci. Amer. May 62/1 Donald A. Tomalia is..director of nanoscopic chemistry and architecture at the Michigan Molecular Institute. 2003 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 10 May 5 This ‘hydrophobic’ glass treatment..claims to cover the nanoscopic cracks on the surface of glass to allow water droplets to disperse much faster. nanosphere n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)sfɪə/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌsfɪ(ə)r/ (a) a sphere of material having a diameter measured in nanometres; (b) the world of extremely small things, esp. of nanoscience. ΚΠ 1980 R. L. Hines in Proc. 38th Ann. Meeting Electron Microsc. Soc. Amer. 182 A carbon nanosphere is considered to be an approximately spherical particle of amorphous, nonporus [sic] pure carbon with a radius of several nanometers. 1999 New Scientist 20 Feb. 43/3 The solubility of the outside shell means the nanospheres could be suspended in the bloodstream. 2008 C. Rehmann-Sutter in J. S. Ach & B. Lüttenberg Nanobiotechnol., Nanomed. & Human Enhancem. 28 The AFM [= atomic force microscope]..is helping us to see tiny structures in the nanosphere. 2012 Observer 14 Oct. (New Review section) 22/5 Brown refers to the fly as the latest addition to the entomological ‘nanosphere’, a world of ultra-small insects dominated by trichogrammatid and mymarid wasps. nanotube n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)tjuːb/ , /ˈnanə(ʊ)tʃuːb/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌt(j)ub/ a structure consisting of one or more sheets of carbon atoms rolled up in the form of a cylinder, two or more concentric cylinders, or a cylindrical scroll; a buckytube; (also) any analogous tubular molecule composed of atoms other than carbon. ΚΠ 1992 Nature 16 July 220/1 Interest in carbon fibres has been stimulated greatly by the recent discovery of hollow graphitic tubules of nanometre dimensions. There has been much speculation about the properties and potential application of these nanotubes. 1994 Superlattices & Microstruct. 16 133/1 Chrysotile asbestos..is a regular set of closely packed parallel dielectric nanotubes. 1997 G. Bear Slant (1998) 241 I've heard that all the carbon fibers—nanotubes, linked fullerenes, etc.—are tuned for conductivity and that the entire skin is sensitive. nanowire n. Brit. /ˈnanə(ʊ)ˌwʌɪə/ , U.S. /ˈnænoʊˌwaɪ(ə)r/ wire, or a wire, that has a thickness or diameter of a few nanometres. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > metal in specific state or form > [noun] > wire > types of silver wire14.. white wire1463 virginal wire1662 pin-wire1674 binding wire1767 pinion wire1767 electric wire1819 music wire1823 gutta-percha-wire1876 No. eight1876 picture wire1876 number eight1952 microwire1953 plated wire1960 nanowire1990 1990 Jrnl. Appl. Physics 68 1134/1 The starting material for nanowire fabrication was sample NH836c because of its high mobility at 77K. 1993 Nature 28 Jan. 334/1 In effect the interior of the nanotube acts as a mould for fabrication of a ‘nanowire’. In Fig. 3c, the thinner wire has a diameter of less than 1.5 nm. 1997 A. C. Clarke 2001 vi. 40 He had felt nothing except a gentle tickling as the myriad of nano-wires wormed their way through his scalp. 2. colloquial. Prefixed to nouns (often in ad hoc formations): extremely small; of very brief duration. Also occasionally prefixed to adjectives: to a very small degree; negligibly. ΚΠ 1966 New Scientist 1 Dec. 530/2 A megaskirt ends six inches below the knee,..a nanoskirt nine inches above, and a picoskirt ends one foot above the knee, fortunately. 1970 J. Blish Spock must Die! vi. 41 We get proximity explosion one nano-jiffy later. 1983 Verbatim Spring 21/1 What a microcephalic, nanocerebral ninnyhammer ought to do. 1988 Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 28 Aug. (Mag. section) 24 A dwarf art gallery complete with a smugly superior pink-haired pico-receptionist filing her nano-nails. 1994 Independent on Sunday 4 Sept. (Review Suppl.) 52/2 This was an accomplished performance; she left not a nano-pause for me to reveal my ignorance. 1998 N.Y. Times 27 Mar. b38/6 The early 1980's nano-trend of Energism. 3. Chiefly Computing. Prefixed to nouns and adjectives with reference to compounds formed with micro- (or occasionally macro-): smaller; less complex; made at a more fundamental level. ΚΠ 1977 G. Friedert & J. Miller in Micro 10 Proc. (IEEE) 27/2 It is possible for one microinstruction to point to a program consisting of several nanoinstructions. 1982 F. J. Galland Dict. Computing 168/2 The use of a microinstruction decoder is said to constitute a nanolevel and an input to the decoder (a vertical microinstruction) may be termed a nanoinstruction. 1991 Dr. Dobb's Jrnl. Oct. 70/1 Threads are ‘nanotasks’—in other words, the smallest possible state living in address space. 1993 Byte Feb. 161/1 Some companies talk about nanocellular systems that cover an office building with thousands of cells often no more than 3 or 4 feet in diameter. 1994 N.Y. Times 8 Mar. c11/2 Carl Kalkhof..drove up with his wife, Anita, to run his nanomouse, a smaller and less advanced robot than the micromouse, in a maze competition. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < comb. form1951
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