\ ˈna-nə 
\
\ plural nanas
Definition of nana
informal
: the mother of one's father or mother : grandmother … my nana's commonsense wisdom still resonates. She told me it's not important what people say they do, it's what they do that counts. — Ms. The Detroit rapper [Big Sean] hopped on Instagram on Monday … to send out a heartfelt tribute to his nana, who he says has a special place in armed forces lineage.— C. Vernon Coleman II — often used as a form of address"I don't know, Nana," said Eufala … . "It doesn't look very much like a car."— Kathleen Lane and Cabell Harris
Examples of nana in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web In advance of the episode's release, check out the exclusive clip of Alaina cooking with her nana below.
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Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Watch Lauren Alaina FaceTime Her Nana to Make Her Fried Chicken Recipe on CMT's Off the Road," 16 Dec. 2020 My nana, Alice, and her best friend Ms. Sarah were two Black women among many who worked the assembly line at a General Motors factory back in Trenton, New Jersey.
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Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Black America Unwittingly Provided the Soundtrack to Its Own Displacement," 10 Aug. 2020 My nana, Alice, and her best friend Ms. Sarah were two Black women among many who worked the assembly line at a General Motors factory back in Trenton, New Jersey.
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Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Black America Unwittingly Provided the Soundtrack to Its Own Displacement," 10 Aug. 2020 My nana, Alice, and her best friend Ms. Sarah were two Black women among many who worked the assembly line at a General Motors factory back in Trenton, New Jersey.
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Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Black America Unwittingly Provided the Soundtrack to Its Own Displacement," 10 Aug. 2020 My nana, Alice, and her best friend Ms. Sarah were two Black women among many who worked the assembly line at a General Motors factory back in Trenton, New Jersey.
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Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Black America Unwittingly Provided the Soundtrack to Its Own Displacement," 10 Aug. 2020 Before his death, Lopez is seen handcuffed while pleading repeatedly in English and Spanish for water and for his nana, or grandmother.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Alabama history agency admits perpetuating systemic racism," 24 June 2020 Back then, gin was considered a drink for your nana; these days, Australia is experiencing an incredible boom in craft distilling, especially with gin.
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Besha Rodell, New York Times, "The Man Who Taught Australia How to Mix a Proper Drink," 8 May 2020 These words refer to the two most important people in most babies’ lives, followed closely by similar words for grandparents – nana, tata, bobcia, nonno, opa, omo – who often play important roles, as well.
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Denise Bodman, The Conversation, "Why do kids call their parents ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’?," 6 May 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nana.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for nana
The first known use of nana was in 1899
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