nanotechnology

noun nano·tech·nol·o·gy \ ˌna-nō-tek-ˈnä-lə-jē \

|Updated on: 28 Jul 2018

Definition of nanotechnology

: the science of manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular scale especially to build microscopic devices (such as robots)

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nanotechnological

play \ˌna-nō-ˌtek-nə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ adjective

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nanotechnologist

play \ˌna-nō-tek-ˈnä-lə-jist\ noun

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Recent Examples of nanotechnology from the Web

Sawyer went on to earn degrees in engineering and nanotechnology before starting a Houston company called Rebellion Photonics, which develops high-tech cameras to detect gas leaks in oil installations.

— david yaffe-bellany, star-telegram, "As Trump backlash continues, STEM professionals in Texas run for office," 12 July 2018
About four years ago, Dais had lined up a Chinese company to help develop its business in nanotechnology that helps produce clean water.

— paul wiseman, The Seattle Times, "Why they fight: US and China brawl over high technology," 3 July 2018
The company uses nanotechnology and high-powered microscopes to analyze individual hair strands.

— noel cymone walker, Allure, "Why Wig and Extension Brands Are Turning Their Focus to Hair-Care Analysis," 27 June 2018
The Diamond Age foresaw the future of nanotechnology in 1995.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "How Neal Stephenson Got Book Ideas by Moonlighting at Blue Origin," 19 June 2018
Image In his years in public education, Alain E. Kaloyeros was one of New York’s biggest success stories, parlaying his expertise in nanotechnology to become one of the state’s most powerful and highest-paid employees.

— benjamin weiser, New York Times, "Behind the ‘Buffalo Billion,’ a Bid-Rigging Scheme Emerges," 18 June 2018
Of the six, Anatoly Chubais remains closest to the Kremlin as head of the Russian state nanotechnology company Rusnano.

— adam taylor, Washington Post, "Is Russia all out of oligarchs? It says it is.," 6 Apr. 2018
Heller’s laboratory designs nanotechnologies that improve the detection and treatment of cancer.

— matthew tontonoz, Scientific American, "Up Close and Personal," 15 May 2018
Topics include material advancement, cost-effective chemical solutions for sustainable production and nanotechnology innovations for offshore drilling.

— rebecca maitland, Houston Chronicle, "Silver Sponsor: Aramco’s technology honored for industry contributions," 29 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nanotechnology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Nanotechnology, or nanotech for short, deals with matter at a level that most of us find hard to imagine, since it involves objects with dimensions of 100 billionths of a meter (1/800th of the thickness of a human hair) or less. The chemical and physical properties of materials often change greatly at this scale. Nanotechnology is already being used in automobile tires, land-mine detectors, and computer disk drives. Nanomedicine is a particularly exciting field: Imagine particles the size of a blood cell that could be released into the bloodstream to form into tiny robots and attack cancer cells, or "machines" the size of a molecule that could actually repair the damaged interiors of individual cells.