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Definition of nu

nu

/nuː/
nu
Plural:nus
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nu Lexical Profile

nu Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ν, ν), frequently used in science and mathematics to represent variables such as frequency, kinematic viscosity, and degrees of freedom.

Example

"In the equation for the energy of a photon, E = hν, the symbol nu represents the frequency of the electromagnetic wave."

• Rhymes for nu

• Nearby Words

noxiously
nozzle
nth
nu
nu river
nuance
nuanced

Word Origin & Etymology

The noun originates from the Greek 'ny' (νῦ), derived from the Phoenician letter 'nun'. The interjection comes from Yiddish 'nu' (נו), which is ultimately derived from Russian and other Slavic languages as an exclamation meaning 'well' or 'so'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Nu. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/nu
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