National Academy of Sciences: Meaning and Definition of

Na'tional Acad'emy of Sci'ences

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a private organization, created by an act of Congress (1863), that furthers science and advises the U.S. government on scientific and technical issues. Abbr.: N.A.S., NAS
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.