ana

1 of 5

adverb

: of each an equal quantity
used in writing prescriptions

ana

2 of 5

noun

plural ana or anas
1
: a collection of the memorable sayings of a person
2
: a collection of anecdotes or interesting information about a person or a place

ANA

3 of 5

abbreviation

American Nurses Association

ana-

4 of 5

prefix

variants or an-
1
: up : upward
anabolism
2
: back : backward
anatropous

-ana

5 of 5

plural noun suffix

variants or -iana
: collected items of information especially anecdotal or bibliographical concerning
Americana

Examples of ana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And, as Little and CFI noted in a letter to the FDA last month, the anas barbariae in Oscillococcinum is nonexistent. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ana.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Greek, at the rate of, literally, up

Noun

-ana

Prefix

Latin, from Greek, up, back, again, from ana up — more at on

Plural noun suffix

New Latin, from Latin, neuter plural of -anus -an & -ianus -ian

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ana was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ana

Cite this Entry

“Ana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ana. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ana-

prefix
variants or an-
: up : upward
anabolism
Etymology

Prefix

derived from Greek ana "up, back"

Medical Definition

ana

1 of 2 adverb
: of each an equal quantity
used in writing prescriptions

ANA

2 of 2 abbreviation
1
American Nurses Association
2
antinuclear antibodies; antinuclear antibody

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