nanometer

noun

nano·​me·​ter ˈna-nə-ˌmē-tər 

: one billionth of a meter

Examples of nanometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Oxygen helps stabilize tiny zirconia domains In the zirconia study, researchers found regions smaller than one square nanometer in which electrical polarization pointed in a consistent direction. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026

The 2026 mini makes a considerable jump from the A17 Pro, a 3-nanometer, iPhone 15 Pro-era chip from 2023, to the A20 Pro, a 2-nanometer chip that debuted in the new iPhone 18 Pro. — ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026

To do that, each astrocamera is equipped with a spectral filter whose bandwidth is so narrow—one nanometer—that the filter appears as a mirror. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026

Slight shifts or tilts — even on the scale of just a few nanometers — can change the pattern of light. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nanometer

• amphitheater
• bolometer
• centimeter
• centimetre
• decimeter
• ergometer
• expositor
• gasometer
• gravimeter
• hexameter
• manometer
• milliliter

Kids Definition

nanometer

noun

nano·​meter

ˈnan-ə-ˌmēt-ər

: one billionth of a meter

Medical Definition

nanometer

noun

nano·​me·​ter

variants or chiefly British nanometre

ˈnan-ə-ˌmēt-ər 

: one billionth of a meter

—abbreviation nm