nun

1 of 2

noun (1)

: a woman belonging to a religious order
especially : one under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
nunlike adjective

nun

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet see Alphabet Table

Examples of nun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Home for Retired Bears, benignly administered by the musical nuns, resembles an island gentlemen’s club in early Bond movies: think cane furniture, the wistful whiff of Empire and a faintly sinister air. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 Swiss zoologists, botanists, engineers, priests and nuns from missionary societies, merchants and rentier businesspeople, warlords and mercenaries ventured out to participate in plunder and looting as adjuncts or sidekicks of the stronger world powers and financiers. Percy Zvomuya, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024 Day after day, the nuns were brought to a scaffold in the center of town, while crowds gathered to watch. Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2024 Even the mass can be officiated by a priest and not a nun. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nun 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English nunne, from Late Latin nonna

Noun (2)

Hebrew nūn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1567, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nun was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near nun

Cite this Entry

“Nun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nun. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nun

noun
ˈnən
: a woman belonging to a religious order
especially : one living under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

More from Merriam-Webster on nun

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!