Nanny means: A child's nurse.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
nanny
A child's nurse.
ˈnæniDocumented since 1790sSilenthistoricalCurrent210 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
10 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1795 · 1 year of recorded use18th centurySee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Becky and I are refusing to eat or sleep in case Bette Davis gets us as we look at one of Hammer's very best, the excellent Jimmy Sangster scripted/Seth Holt directed The Nanny (1965), As always, available here and wh…
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BlueskyMay 2026
I was so confused when this happened at a self checkout on my first day. Nanny state ass
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BlueskyMay 2026
The TN Assembly chose a path to hide the redistrcting process from Tennesseans. They are covering their shit up like a cat does in a litter box. My Nanny use to tell me "God sees all and he don't like ugly". This is…
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BlueskyMay 2026
I’m watching the nanny for the first time #tvsky #nowwatching
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BlueskyMay 2026
Look, I want to stress very firmly that I'm not in favour of child murder but I am fully Team Nanny in this scenario! That's all I'm saying, don't judge me:)
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Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
A child's nurse.
Origin: From . The root is from nana, which is from nanna, which is possibly derived from . See also , , , , , , , , . All probably ultimately from a root of a child babbling, similar to . (1795) It has often been assumed that the English term was originally a widespread for "female adult other than mother" (compare , nanna). On the other hand, according to recent research of the Dutch historical linguists Hans Beelen and Nicoline van der Sijs (published in [https://web.archive.org/web/20201021112011/https://onzeta… On. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Nanny means: A child's nurse.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
nanny means: A child's nurse.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(colloquial) A grandmother.
Heard in the wild
“Becky and I are refusing to eat or sleep in case Bette Davis gets us as we look at one of Hammer's very best, the excellent Jimmy Sangster scripted/Seth Holt directed The Nanny (1965), As always, available here and wherever you get your podcasts. www.evolutionofhorror.com/hammer”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I was so confused when this happened at a self checkout on my first day. Nanny state ass”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The TN Assembly chose a path to hide the redistrcting process from Tennesseans. They are covering their shit up like a cat does in a litter box. My Nanny use to tell me "God sees all and he don't like ugly". This is ugly.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I’m watching the nanny for the first time #tvsky #nowwatching”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Look, I want to stress very firmly that I'm not in favour of child murder but I am fully Team Nanny in this scenario! That's all I'm saying, don't judge me:)”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#3·Apr 27, 2026
(US, colloquial) A godmother.
Heard in the wild
“One of our GSDs was a very elderly lady when we had our Doberman puppies. She was a great nanny, although no longer this energetic. 🖤🤎🧡”
— Bluesky· May 2026“> Lost my Nana earlier that year > Gets to the lost memory act > Wuk Lamat with her nanny I was literally crying hard in call with my boyfriend and close friend for like 30 minutes, it hit too close to home and I still get so emotional when I think about that moment.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“105 years ago: Through the Back Door (US) A young Belgian girl, raised by her longtime nanny, flees Europ... 1921-05-05 #ClassicMovies #Pre-code https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/104664”
— Bluesky· May 2026“This is how the Banks family advertised for a new nanny bsky.app/profile/karl...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Die kriegen unser Geld, damit dürfte die Diskussion dann beendet sein. WIR sagen, wieviel Nanny wir wollen/brauchen, nicht die, die unser Geld kriegen und verplanen. Könnste mit wachsender Begeisterung reinhauen, in die Fressen.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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