nun
gb/nˈʌn/ us/nˈʌn/
B1
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
woman in a religious order
A woman who gives her life to religion, usually lives in a special house with other women, and follows strict religious rules.
Usage pattern:
[someone] becomes a nun
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "nun" with "none" because they sound similar. "Nun" is a religious woman, while "none" means zero or not any (e.g., "I have none left"). Some learners also think "nun" only refers to Catholic women, but it can be used for women in other religions, such as a Buddhist nun.
Synonyms
sister (Often used as a form of address for a nun, especially in Christian contexts; can also refer more generally to a woman in a female religious community.)
Antonyms
layperson (A person who is not a member of the clergy or a religious order, the opposite of someone who has taken religious vows.)
Collocations
Catholic nun
|Buddhist nun
|convent nun
|become a nun
|an order of nuns
|nun's habit
Themes
religion
|society
|identity
|relationships
Examples
- She decided to become a nun after volunteering at the hospital.
- The nun led the students in a short prayer before class.
- We visited a monastery where the nuns make cheese and honey.
- As a young nun, she was sent to work in a rural village.
- The film tells the story of a rebellious teen who is sent to live with nuns.
Learner examples
- Her aunt is a nun in a small town.
- The nun wears a long black dress.
- He talks with a nun about his problems.
- She wants to be a nun when she is older.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
fourteenth Hebrew alphabet letter
The name of the 14th letter in the Hebrew alphabet, written נ or ן.
Usage pattern:
the Hebrew letter nun
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "nun" can be a letter name as well as a religious woman. The pronunciation is the same, so only the context shows whether it is the Hebrew letter or a religious person.
Synonyms
letter נ (Refers directly to the written symbol instead of its spoken name.)
Collocations
the letter nun
|Hebrew letter nun
|final nun
|the character nun
Themes
language
|religion
|writing
|education
|communication
Examples
- In this word, the letter nun appears twice.
- Please write the Hebrew nun on the board.
- The final form of nun is used only at the end of a word.
Learner examples
- The teacher shows the class the letter nun.
- He practices writing the Hebrew nun again and again.
- This Hebrew word starts with the letter nun.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
red conical navigation buoy
A red, cone-shaped floating marker used on water in North America to show the right-hand side of a safe boat channel when you sail in from the sea.
Usage pattern:
a nun buoy in [a channel]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "nun" here refers to a religious woman on a boat. In nautical English, a "nun buoy" is only a type of red, cone-shaped navigation marker and has no connection to religion.
Synonyms
starboard-hand buoy (A more general nautical term; not all starboard-hand buoys are necessarily cone-shaped "nun" buoys in the North American system.)
Antonyms
can buoy (A green, usually cylindrical buoy that marks the port side of a channel, functionally opposite to a red nun buoy in North American systems.)
Collocations
nun buoy
|red nun
|red nun buoy
|channel marker
Themes
transport
|sea
|technology
|travel
|transportation
Examples
- Keep the red nun buoys on your starboard side as you enter the harbor.
- The chart shows a line of nun buoys marking the narrow channel.
- After the storm, the outer nun buoy was found miles from its proper position.
Learner examples
- The boat passes close to the red nun buoy.
- On this river, nun buoys show the safe way for ships.
- The captain looks for the next nun buoy in the fog.
Grammar
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.