nanotechnology

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

nanotechnology
    n 1: the branch of engineering that deals with things smaller
         than 100 nanometers (especially with the manipulation of
         individual molecules)

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

nanotechnology \nan"o*tech*nol`o*gy\
   (n[a^]n"[-o]*t[e^]k*n[o^]l`[-o]*j[=e]), n.
   The manipulation or construction of objects with sizes in the
   nanometer range or smaller.

   Note: Objects of the size of molecules may be moved and
         placed in specific locations using laser tweezers or an
         atomic force microscope. See [a

         href="http:]/21net.com/content/inside_se/nano.htm">nanotechnology.
         [PJC]

from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)

nanotechnology
 /nan'.oh.tek.no`[email protected]/, n.

   A hypothetical fabrication technology in which objects are designed
   and built with the individual specification and placement of each
   separate atom. The first unequivocal nanofabrication experiments took
   place in 1990, for example with the deposition of individual xenon
   atoms on a nickel substrate to spell the logo of a certain very large
   computer company. Nanotechnology has been a hot topic in the hacker
   subculture ever since the term was coined by K. Eric Drexler in his
   book Engines of Creation (Anchor/Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-19973-2), where
   he predicted that nanotechnology could give rise to replicating
   assemblers, permitting an exponential growth of productivity and
   personal wealth (there's an authorized transcription at
   http://www.foresight.org/EOC/index.html). See also blue goo, gray
   goo, nanobot.

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

nanotechnology

   /nan'-oh-tek-no"l*-jee/ Any fabrication technology in which
   objects are designed and built by the specification and
   placement of individual atoms or molecules or where at least
   one dimension is on a scale of {nanometers}.

   The first unequivocal nanofabrication experiments took place
   in 1990, for example with the deposition of individual xenon
   atoms on a nickel substrate to spell the logo of a certain
   very large computer company.

   Richard P. Feynman's initial public discussion in 1959-12-29
   (http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html) lead to the
   Feynman Prize for Nanotechnology
   (http://www.foresight.org/FI/fi_spons.html).  Erik Drexler
   coined the term about 30 years later in his book "Engines of
   Creation", where he predicted that nanotechnology could give
   rise to replicating assemblers, permitting an exponential
   growth of productivity and personal wealth.

   See also {nanobot}.

   (http://lucifer.com/~sean/Nano.html).

   (2008-01-14)