NIR

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

NIR
Stands forNorthern Ireland
Meanings2
CategoriesGeography & Places, Science & Engineering

NIR has two meanings. It stands for Northern Ireland (country code) or Near-infrared (physics).

Meanings of NIR at a glance

#NIR stands forContext
1Northern IrelandGeography & Places › Country Code
2Near-infraredScience & Engineering › Physics

1. Northern Ireland

Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations

FIFA code for Northern Ireland, whose team reached the World Cup in 1958, 1982 and 1986 and the European Championship in 2016. It is separate from the Republic of Ireland team (IRL).

Example: NIR fans sang Will Grigg's on Fire throughout Euro 2016.

At the Olympics, athletes from Northern Ireland may choose to represent Great Britain or Ireland. ISO 3166-2 uses GB-NIR.

2. Near-infrared

Science & Engineering · Physics Abbreviations

Shortest-wavelength part of the infrared, just beyond visible red light, commonly about 750 to 1,400 nanometers (some definitions extend to 2,500). NIR light passes through tissue and many materials, so it is used in pulse oximeters, fiber-optic communications, night-vision illuminators and food and pharmaceutical analysis.

Example: NIR spectroscopy measures protein and moisture in grain samples in seconds.

Telecommunications fibers carry signals at 1,310 and 1,550 nanometers, in the near-infrared, where glass absorbs least. Pulse oximeters compare absorption of red and near-infrared light to estimate blood oxygen. The James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam instrument images the universe in the near-infrared.

More country code abbreviations

  • NED – Netherlands
  • NF – Norfolk Island
  • NG – Nigeria
  • NI – Nicaragua
  • NL – Netherlands
  • NO – Norway
  • NP – Nepal
  • NR – Nauru

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More physics abbreviations

  • maser – Microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
  • MHD – Magnetohydrodynamics
  • NA – Avogadro constant
  • NIF – National Ignition Facility
  • PE – Potential energy
  • PMT – Photomultiplier tube
  • QCD – Quantum chromodynamics
  • QED – Quantum electrodynamics

See all 68 physics abbreviations →