Meanings
nau1
nounnau (plural naus)
plural naus
- historicalSynonym of carrack.
Bentley Duncan has even suggested that it was the prospect of trade rather than the doubtful facilities of the dockyard that persuaded so many naus to stop at Mozambique Island.
2008, Liam Matthew Brockey, Portuguese Colonial Cities in the Early Modern WorldSynonyms: carrack
Nau2
NAU3
proper noun
- abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Northern Arizona University.
- abbreviationinitialismInitialism of North American Union.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of carrack.
Similar
Also see
Origin
- Portuguesenau
- Englishnau
From Portuguese nau. Doublet of nef and nave.
More words from Portuguese
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with nau
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
nau. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nau
MLA
“nau.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nau. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nau,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nau.
Source: nau on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.