nanotechnology
noun
nano·tech·nol·o·gy ˌna-nō-tek-ˈnä-lə-jē 
: the manipulation of materials on an atomic or molecular scale especially to build microscopic devices (such as robots)
Placing atoms as though they were bricks, nanotechnology will give us complete control over the structure of matter, allowing us to build any substance or structure permitted by the laws of nature. 
Science News
Science NewsOnce the province of science fiction, nanotechnology, the science of assembling materials one atom at a time, is now the rage among Silicon Valley investors. Karen Breslau
Karen Breslau nanotechnological
ˌna-nō-ˌtek-nə-ˈlä-ji-kəl
adjective nanotechnologist
ˌna-nō-tek-ˈnä-lə-jist
noun 
Did you know?
Nanotechnology, or nanotech for short, deals with matter at a level that most of us find hard to imagine, since it involves objects with dimensions of 100 billionths of a meter (1/800th of the thickness of a human hair) or less. The chemical and physical properties of materials often change greatly at this scale. Nanotechnology is already being used in automobile tires, land-mine detectors, and computer disk drives. Nanomedicine is a particularly exciting field: Imagine particles the size of a blood cell that could be released into the bloodstream to form into tiny robots and attack cancer cells, or "machines" the size of a molecule that could actually repair the damaged interiors of individual cells.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The head of the UAE program, however, says its cloud-seeding efforts are working, thanks in part to a new substance that uses nanotechnology developed at Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University. Peter Weber, The Week, 29 Aug. 2022 Of course, the precious metal isn’t the only material worth noting on the watch, which features a dial layered in Vantablack, a type of super-black coating invented by the nanotechnology industry for use in aeronautics. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2022 One outcome was mRNA technology, which required the convergence of advances in synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, and has transformed the science—and the business—of vaccines. François Candelon, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 Molekule’s air purifiers, on the other hand, use proprietary PECO (Photo-electrochemical oxidation) nanotechnology, according to CEO Jonathan Harris, in a telephone interview with USA TODAY. Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 30 July 2022 Chubais also reportedly supported the development of Putin’s career, and Putin gave him a position as an adviser on sustainable development after he was dismissed from a state nanotechnology firm in December 2020. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2022 The scientists’ findings stoked a global wave of research in nanotechnology as scientists searched for other unimagined molecular structures, leading to promising new materials for solar cells and light-emitting diodes, among other things. James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 15 July 2022 Suddenly, new frontiers in physical chemistry and nanotechnology were thrown open. Brian Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 9 July 2022 Currently, cannabis beverage and edibles makers are testing the use of nanotechnology to infuse their respective products. Arshad Lasi, Rolling Stone, 7 June 2022 See More
Peter Weber, The Week, 29 Aug. 2022 Of course, the precious metal isn’t the only material worth noting on the watch, which features a dial layered in Vantablack, a type of super-black coating invented by the nanotechnology industry for use in aeronautics. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2022 One outcome was mRNA technology, which required the convergence of advances in synthetic biology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, and has transformed the science—and the business—of vaccines. François Candelon, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 Molekule’s air purifiers, on the other hand, use proprietary PECO (Photo-electrochemical oxidation) nanotechnology, according to CEO Jonathan Harris, in a telephone interview with USA TODAY. Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 30 July 2022 Chubais also reportedly supported the development of Putin’s career, and Putin gave him a position as an adviser on sustainable development after he was dismissed from a state nanotechnology firm in December 2020. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2022 The scientists’ findings stoked a global wave of research in nanotechnology as scientists searched for other unimagined molecular structures, leading to promising new materials for solar cells and light-emitting diodes, among other things. James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 15 July 2022 Suddenly, new frontiers in physical chemistry and nanotechnology were thrown open. Brian Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 9 July 2022 Currently, cannabis beverage and edibles makers are testing the use of nanotechnology to infuse their respective products. Arshad Lasi, Rolling Stone, 7 June 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1974, in the meaning defined above