nanometer

American

[nan-uh-mee-ter, ney-nuh-] / ˈnæn əˌmi tər, ˈneɪ nə- /

noun

one billionth of a meter. nm

nanometer Scientific

/ năn′ə-mē′tər /

One billionth (10 ^{^- 9}) of a meter.

Etymology

Origin of nanometer

First recorded in 1960–65; nano- + meter ¹

Compare meaning

How does nanometer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

micron vs. nanometer

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The final frontier of silicon etching aims to cut that down to about 5 nanometers.

From The Wall Street Journal

And it is in Taiwan where it makes its most advanced chips, which today have transistors as small as two nanometers.

From The Wall Street Journal

In laboratory tests, the researchers converted infrared light with a wavelength of about 1530 nanometers, similar to what is used in fiber optic communication systems, into visible green light near 510 nanometers.

From Science Daily

This process extended about 20 to 50 nanometers below the surface.

From Science Daily

In their simulations, the team modeled a stable hydrogen cyanide crystal shaped like a long cylinder about 450 nanometers in length.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023