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.
It can also refer to the materials themselves which are used in nanotechnology.
Such instruments can be constructed using a scanning tunneling microscope.
A single atom has been used as an electrical switch and an individual molecule has been used to convert alternating current into direct current.
2. Achondroplasia: a birth deformity characterised by imperfect bone formation. It results in dwarfs with normal-sized heads but short arms and legs.
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.
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.
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.