Standard Lemma guide

nanosecond

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Canada: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: N AE1 N OW0 S EH2 K AH0 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An SI unit of time equal to 10−9 seconds. Symbol: ns

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: metrology

Examples

  • Holonyms: microsecond < millisecond < centisecond < decisecond < second < decasecond < minute < hectosecond < kilosecond < hour < day < week < megasecond < fortnight < month < year < gigasecond < century < kiloannum, kiloyear, millennium < terasecond < mega-annum, megayear < petasecond < giga-annum, gigayear < exasecond < zettasecond < yottasecond < ronnasecond < quettasecond
  • Meronyms: quectosecond < rontosecond < yoctosecond < zeptosecond < attosecond < femtosecond < picosecond

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An extremely short period of time; an instant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • I just know that the nanosecond I take my eyes off my phone, somebody's going to steal it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

one billionth (10^-9) of a second; one thousandth of a microsecond

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time unit, unit of time

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek νᾶνος (nânos)bor. Latin nānusbor. English nano- English second English nanosecond From nano- + second.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: nanosegon — measure of time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 納秒 /纳秒 (nàmiǎo) — measure of time
  • Czech: nanosekunda — measure of time
  • Danish: nanosekund — measure of time
  • Dutch: nanoseconde — measure of time
  • Estonian: nanosekund — measure of time
  • Finnish: nanosekunti — measure of time
  • French: nanoseconde — measure of time
  • Galician: nanosegundo — measure of time
  • German: Nanosekunde — measure of time
  • Hungarian: nanoszekundum — measure of time
  • Icelandic: nanósekúnda — measure of time
  • Italian: nanosecondo — measure of time
  • Japanese: ナノ秒 (nanobyō) — measure of time
  • Lithuanian: nanosekundė — measure of time
  • Malay: nanosaat — measure of time
  • Polish: nanosekunda — measure of time
  • Portuguese: nanossegundo — measure of time
  • Romanian: nanosecundă — measure of time
  • Russian: наносеку́нда (nanosekúnda) — measure of time
  • Slovak: nanosekunda — measure of time
  • Spanish: nanosegundo — measure of time
  • Swedish: nanosekund — measure of time
  • Telugu: నానోసెకను (nānōsekanu) — measure of time
  • Turkish: nanosaniye — measure of time