nanotechnology

noun

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

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

Placing atoms as though they were bricks, nanotechnology will give us complete control over the structure of matter, allowing us to build any substance or structure permitted by the laws of nature.

—Science News

Once the province of science fiction, nanotechnology, the science of assembling materials one atom at a time, is now the rage among Silicon Valley investors.

—Karen Breslau

nanotechnological

ˌna-nō-ˌtek-nə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

adjective

nanotechnologist

ˌna-nō-tek-ˈnä-lə-jist 

noun

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.

Examples of nanotechnology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is much discussion about how AI and nanotechnology are driving a revival in U.S. manufacturing. —Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

While Japan is pursuing new mineral deposits after their run-in with China last year, there seems to be some sense afoot that nanotechnology could offer a solution without resorting to new mining. —IEEE Spectrum, 13 Apr. 2011

The company continues to invest in R&D, refining its nanotechnology to protect not just roofs but a range of construction materials for the future. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025

The three devices all make use of nanotechnology and optics. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2014

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nanotechnology

• ethylenediamine
• idiosyncrasy
• phenomenology
• phenylenediamine
• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• agouti
• allottee
• amphorae
• amputee

Kids Definition

nanotechnology

noun

nano·​tech·​nol·​o·​gy

ˌnan-ō-tek-ˈnäl-ə-jē

: the art of using and controlling materials on an atomic or molecular scale especially in order to create microscopic devices