nanotechnology

IPA/ˌnænəʊtekˈnɒlədʒi/
KK[nˌænotˌɛknˈɑlədʒˌi]IPA/ˌnænəʊtekˈnɑːlədʒi/

nanotechnology — noun

1. the science of designing and creating structures, devices, and materials by work

1.nounB2
Definition

the science of designing and creating structures, devices, and materials by working with individual atoms and molecules, at a scale measured in nanometres — each nanometre being one billionth of a metre

Example

A hospital in Seoul uses nanotechnology to send medicine directly to infected cells.

nanotechnology + deliver medicine; targeted drug delivery

Leila's raincoat uses nanotechnology to make the fabric waterproof while still allowing it to breathe.

nanotechnology in everyday consumer products

Common collocations
  • nanotechnology research
  • nanotechnology industry
  • nanotechnology applications
  • advances in nanotechnology
  • nanotechnology-based products
Synonyms
  • nanotech

    informal shortening; common in news headlines and everyday speech

  • molecular engineering

    broader term that includes design at the molecular level, not strictly limited to the nanometre scale

  • molecular manufacturing

    more specific: refers to building products molecule by molecule, a subset of nanotechnology

Usage Note

Nanotechnology is almost always treated as an uncountable noun. It frequently appears as a modifier before another noun (e.g. nanotechnology research, nanotechnology industry, nanotechnology applications).

Common Mistakes

❗ 'Nanoscience and nanotechnology are completely different fields.' ✅ 'Nanoscience is the study of phenomena at the nanoscale, while nanotechnology applies that knowledge to build useful devices.' — 'nanoscience' focuses on theory and observation; 'nanotechnology' focuses on practical design and production.

Word family

  • nanotech
    nounB2
  • nanotechnologist
    nounC1
  • nanoscale
    adjectiveB2
  • nanomaterial
    nounC1
  • nanoparticle
    nounC1
  • nanostructure
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Nanotechnology, nanotech, molecular engineering, and nanoscience all relate to work at an extremely small scale, but they differ in scope and formality. Nanotechnology is the broadest practical term and the most common in general writing. Nanotech is an informal abbreviation used mainly in news headlines and casual speech. Molecular engineering is a wider concept that includes design at the molecular level regardless of scale — it covers fields like protein design that may not involve nanometre-specific measurement. Nanoscience refers specifically to the study and understanding of phenomena at the nanoscale, without the practical goal of building devices. For example: 'Her PhD in nanoscience explores how gold nanoparticles interact with light.' 'His company applies nanotechnology to create self-cleaning window glass.'

nanotech ↗molecular engineeringnanoscience

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at the nanoscale
  • on a molecular level

Prepositions

  • in nanotechnology
  • within nanotechnology
  • of nanotechnology

Etymology

GreekEnglish

Nanotechnology is a modern compound formed from the Greek prefix 'nano-' (from 'nanos', meaning 'dwarf') and the word 'technology' (from Greek 'tekhnē' — art, skill, craft). The prefix 'nano-' was officially adopted in 1960 as an SI prefix for one billionth. The term 'nanotechnology' first appeared in print in 1974, used by Japanese scientist Norio Taniguchi to describe precision machining at the sub-micrometre level. It gained wider public recognition through K. Eric Drexler's 1986 book 'Engines of Creation', which envisioned molecular-scale manufacturing.