Nun

Pronunciation

• enPR: nÅ­n, IPA: /nÊŒn/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒn
• Homophones: none

From Late Latin nonna ("nun, tutor"), originally (along with masculine form nonnus ("man")) a term of address for elderly persons, perhaps from children's speech, reminiscent of nana, like papa etc.

Full definition of nun

Noun

1. A member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, in some cases living together in a cloister.
2. By extension, member of a similar female community in other confessions.

Synonyms

• sister, moniale, sistren

Antonyms

• member of a religious community of men
• brother
• friar
• monk
• friar and frater or father

Derived terms

• nunhood
• nunlike, nun-like
• nunnery

Related terms

• nonnus

Pronunciation

• enPR: nŏŏn, IPA: /nÊŠn/ or enPR: noÍžon, IPA: /nuːn/

Ultimately from Proto-Semitic *nūn- ("fish").

Alternative forms

• noon
• nÅ«n

Noun

1. The fourteenth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).