What does "nan" mean?
Synonym of maid: a servant girl.
Nan
/næn/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of maid: a servant girl.
- Grammar: nan is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: gran, grandma, grandmother, grannie.
- Useful contrasts: defined number, real number, valid numeric value.
- Usage evidence: I had nan with tea for breakfast.
How to use "nan"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nan" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nan" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nan" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nan" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nan" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gran" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nan", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Synonym of maid: a servant girl. obsolete
- 2 Alternative spelling of naan. alt-of, alternative
"Gerry ordered poppadoms and parathas and then he was interrupted by requests for vindaloos, chicken madrases and sag joshes, rice, raita and nan, from Priest, Morgan and Maria Grazia."
- 3 radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter N.
- 4 Acronym of not a number, applied to numeric values that represent an undefined or unrepresentable value, such as zero divided by itself. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, uncountable
- 5 NMDA antagonist neurotoxicity.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 leavened bread baked in a clay oven in India; usually shaped like a teardrop wordnet
- 7 Synonym of nancy: an effeminate male homosexual. obsolete, slang
- 8 Alternative form of NaN (not a number) alt-of, alternative
- 9 the mother of your father or mother wordnet
- 10 Synonym of nursemaid. UK, endearing
- 11 your grandmother wordnet
- 12 Synonym of grandmother. Australia, British, Canada, Ireland, endearing
"We had my nan over for Christmas dinner."
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the female given name Ann and Nancy.
"My Nan shall be the queen of all the fairies, / Finely attired in a robe of white."
- 2 A province of Thailand.
- 3 Initialism of National Assembly of Nigeria. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 4 The capital of Nan Province, Thailand.
Antonyms
defined numberreal numbervalid numeric value
Example
"I had nan with tea for breakfast."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nan"?
Common synonyms include: gran, grandma, grandmother, grannie, granny, naan.
How do you use "nan" in a sentence?
I had nan with tea for breakfast.
How do you pronounce "nan"?
Pronounced /næn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Nan, pet form of the formerly very common female given names Anne and Agnes. As a nursemaid and grandmother, a clipping of earlier nana, from nanny under the probable influence of mama, also from Nan. Compare Mary.
Etymology 2
See at naan.
Etymology 3
From Thai น่าน (nâan).