Word
nathan
Phoneticsnathan
/ˈneɪθən/
Definitions
01male name
n. a common first name for a man or boy.
n. a masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning 'he gave'.
“My friend Nathan is coming over to help me move some furniture this weekend.”
“Nathan was recently promoted to senior manager after demonstrating exceptional leadership during the merger.”
02hip-hop fan
n. a rude word for a white hip-hop fan who only likes certain types of rap and thinks they know more than others.
n. a derogatory slang term for a white hip-hop enthusiast, typically one perceived as elitist or dismissive of modern subgenres like mumble rap.
“He acts like such a Nathan, always complaining that modern rap isn't real music.”
“The online forum was filled with Nathans arguing that technical lyricism is the only valid metric for quality in hip-hop.”
Slang · Informal
Usage
Often used pejoratively in online music communities.
Teaching tip
This is a very niche internet slang term; learners should avoid using it as it is often intended to be insulting.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Defenders Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji have both been sold this summer, and Silva and Stones left at their end of their contracts.” Etymology
From Hebrew נָתָן (natán, “gave”). Also short for Jonathan.
From a 2014 meme which suggested that white people should replace the word nigga in rap songs with Nathan. The present meaning of the term dates from around 2017.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.