nun

Etymology 1

From Middle English nonne, nunne, from Old English nunne (“nun”), from Late Latin nonna (“nun, tutor”), originally (along with masculine form nonnus (“man”)) a term of address for elderly persons, perhaps from children's speech, reminiscent of nana, like papa etc. Doublet of nonna.

noun

1. A member of a Christian religious community of women who live by certain vows and usually wear a habit, (Roman Catholicism, specifically) those living together in a cloister.
   Thus, when the nuns came to the mission and we saw that instead of murmuring soft blessings and gliding seraphically over the grass in diaphanous habits, they wore smart blouses and skirts and walked, laughed and talked in low twanging tones very much like our own American missionaries did, we were very disappointed. 1988, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions, Faber & Faber Limited (2021), page 258
2. (by extension) A member of a similar female community in other confessions.
   a Buddhist nun
3. (archaic, Britain, slang) A prostitute.
   "I mean to inform you," answered the Oxonian, with a grin on his face, "that those three nymphs, who have so much dazzled your optics, are three nuns, and the plump female is Mother .... of great notoriety …" 1881, Pierce Egan, chapter 8, in Life in London, page 205
4. A kind of pigeon with the feathers on its head like the hood of a nun.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from the letter’s name in the respective language. Doublet of nu.

noun

1. The fourteenth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).

Etymology 3

pron

1. Pronunciation spelling of nothing.