nanosecond
nounEtymology From nano- + second.
1
Metrology An SI unit of time equal to 10⁻⁹ seconds. Symbol: ns
- Holonyms: microsecond < millisecond < centisecond < decisecond < second < decasecond < minute < hectosecond < kilosecond < hour < day < week < megasecond < fortnight < month < year < gigasecond < century < kiloannum, kiloyear, millennium < terasecond < mega-annum, megayear < petasecond < giga-annum, gigayear < exasecond < zettasecond < yottasecond < ronnasecond < quettasecond
- Meronyms: quectosecond < rontosecond < yoctosecond < zeptosecond < attosecond < femtosecond < picosecond
2 more examples
- Since the tiny magnetic domains have to travel only submolecular distances, it is possible to read and write magnetic regions with different polarization as quickly as a single nanosecond — far faster than existing storage technologies.2007 September 11, John Markoff, “Redefining the Architecture of Memory”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 09 Nov 2020:
- “We were heavily involved in also trading: people on Wall Street were buying our stuff to save a few nanoseconds on the wire, the banks were doing crazy things like pulling the fibres under the Hudson taut to make them a little big shorter, to save a few nanoseconds between their datacentre and the stock exchange,” he said.2023 March 26, Alex Hern, quoting Michael Kagan, “Cryptocurrencies add nothing useful to society, says chip-maker Nvidia”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 28 Apr 2023:
2
Figuratively An extremely short period of time; an instant.
- I just know that the nanosecond I take my eyes off my phone, somebody's going to steal it.
- Derived terms
- light-nanosecond, subnanosecond