nun
English
/nʌn/, /nʊn/, /nuːn/
noun
Definitions
- A member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, (Roman Catholicism) those living together in a cloister.
- (by extension) A member of a similar female community in other confessions.
- (archaic) A prostitute.
- A kind of pigeon with the feathers on its head like the hood of a nun.
Etymology
Inherited from Old English nunne (priestess, nun) derived from Latin nonna (nun).
Origin
Latin
nonna
Gloss
nun
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- nunate English
- nunation English
- nunhood English
- nunlet English
- nunlike English
- nunly English
- nunnation English
- nunnery English
- nunnish English
- nunnishly English
- nunnishness English
- nunship English
- nunsploitation English
- unnun English
- *ninnus Latin
- *nonnāna Latin
- nonna Latin
- Nonne German
- nonna Italian
- aniñar Spanish, Castilian
- niñez Spanish, Castilian
- niñito Spanish, Castilian
- niño Spanish, Castilian
- robaniños Spanish, Castilian
- nunne Old English
- nonnery Middle English
- nunna Old Norse
- نُون Arabic
- nonain Old French
- none Old French
- nonne Middle Dutch
- نن Urdu
- nona Venetian
- nona Ladino
- nonna Neapolitan
- Nion San Pedro Amuzgos Amuzgo