nun
nun Lexical Profile
nun Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A woman who belongs to a religious order or monastic community, typically living in a convent or monastery under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
"The nun dedicated her life to prayer, scholarship, and caring for the sick at the local convent."
A variety of domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) characterized by a predominantly white body with dark feathers on the head, tail, and flight quills, including a distinctive hood-like crest of feathers at the back of the neck resembling a religious veil.
"At the poultry exhibition, the breeder won a ribbon for a striking black-headed nun with a well-formed crest."
An unlighted, unpowered navigational buoy having a conical top above the waterline, typically colored red and bearing an even number to mark the starboard side of a channel when returning from sea.
"The harbor captain steered the vessel carefully to port of the red nun to avoid the shallow sandbar."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse with the homophone 'none' (meaning not any). In strict Roman Catholic canon law, a 'nun' takes solemn vows and lives a cloistered contemplative life in a monastery, whereas a 'sister' takes simple vows and engages in active ministry within the broader community, though in everyday usage 'nun' is applied to both.
• Rhymes for nun
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English nunne, reinforced by Old French nonne, both borrowed from Late Latin nonna ('nun, tutor'), originally a nursery title of respect for an elderly person or spiritual mother.