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Define the word nano-

nano- \nan"o-\ (n[a^]n"[-o]-), pref.
   1. A prefix meaning one-billionth; as, a nanogram is
      one-thousandth of a microgram.
      [PJC]

   2. Very small; submicroscopic; -- used to designate sizes
      smaller than those that would be referred to as micro-;
      as, nanoscale manipulations.
      [PJC]

nano /nan'oh/ n. [CMU: from `nanosecond'] A brief period of time. "Be
   with you in a nano" means you really will be free shortly, i.e., implies
   what mainstream people mean by "in a jiffy" (whereas the hackish use of
   `jiffy' is quite different -- see jiffy).

nano- pref. [SI: the next quantifier below micro-; meaning * 10^(-9)]
   Smaller than micro-, and used in the same rather loose and connotative
   way. Thus, one has {nanotechnology} (coined by hacker K. Eric Drexler)
   by analogy with `microtechnology'; and a few machine architectures have
   a `nanocode' level below `microcode'. Tom Duff at Bell Labs has also
   pointed out that "Pi seconds is a nanocentury". See also
   {quantifiers}, pico-, nanoacre, nanobot, nanocomputer,
   nanofortnight.

nano-
     
        /nan'oh/ 1.  A prefix meaning 10^-9 or one billionth.
     
        Used loosely to mean "small", e.g. nanotechnology, or
        (rarely), following "nanosecond", to mean a short time,
        e.g. "I'll be with you in a nano".
     
        [Jargon File]
     
        (2002-03-02)