- non-linear (adj.)
- also nonlinear, 1844, from non- + linear.
- non-member (n.)
- 1640s, from non- + member.
- non-metal
- also nonmetal, 1866, from non- + metal. Related: Non-metallic (1815).
- non-partisan (adj.)
- also nonpartisan, 1872, American English, from non- + partisan.
FIRST POLITICIAN: Who's backing this non-partisan candidate?
SECOND POLITICIAN: The non-partisan party.
["Life," Sept. 29, 1927]
As a noun from 1888.
- non-perishable (adj.)
- also nonperishable, 1887, from non- + perishable.
- non-polar (adj.)
- also nonpolar, 1892, from non- + polar.
- non-political (adj.)
- 1860, from non- + political.
- non-profit (adj.)
- also nonprofit, 1922, from non- + profit (n.).
- non-proliferation (n.)
- also nonproliferation, 1965, from non- + proliferation; originally in reference to nuclear weapons.
- non-renewable (adj.)
- also nonrenewable, 1946, from non- + renewable.
- non-residence (n.)
- also nonresidence, late 14c., originally with reference to clergy, from non- + residence. Related: Non-residency.
- non-resident (n.)
- also nonresident, early 15c., from non- + resident.
- non-resistance (n.)
- 1640s, from non- + resistance.
- non-returnable (adj.)
- 1903, from non- + returnable.
- non-sectarian (adj.)
- also nonsectarian, 1831, from non- + sectarian.
- non-smoker (n.)
- also nonsmoker, "person who does not smoke," 1846, in reference to railways. Non-smoking (adj.) is attested from 1891.
- non-standard (adj.)
- also nonstandard, 1926, from non- + standard. A linguist's value-neutral term for language formerly stigmatized as "bad" or "vulgar."
- non-stop (adj.)
- also nonstop, 1903, from non- + stop (v.); originally of railway trains. As an adverb from 1920.
- non-toxic (adj.)
- also nontoxic, 1892, from non- + toxic.
- non-vascular (adj.)
- also nonvascular, 1815, from non- + vascular.
- non-verbal (adj.)
- also nonverbal, 1927, from non- + verbal.
- non-violence (n.)
- also nonviolence, 1831, from non- + violence. Gandhi used it from 1920.
- non-violent (adj.)
- also nonviolent, 1896, from non- + violent. From 1920 in reference to "principle or practice of abstaining from violence," in writings of M.K. Gandhi.
It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. [Gandhi, "Non-violence in Peace and War," 1948]
- non-volatile (adj.)
- also nonvolatile, 1837, from non- + volatile.
- nona-
- before vowels non-, word-forming element from comb. form of Latin nonus "ninth" (see nones).
- nonage (n.)
- late 14c., "state of not being of age," from Old French nonage, from non- (see non-) + age (see age (n.)).
- nonagenarian (n.)
- 1776, coined in English with -an + Latin nonagenarius "containing ninety" (in Late Latin "someone ninety years old"), from nonagen "ninety each," related to nonaginta "the number ninety," from nonus "ninth" (see nones) + -genaria "ten times," from PIE *dkm-ta-, from *dekm- "ten" (see ten). As an adjective from 1893.
- nonagon (n.)
- "plane figure with nine sides," 1680s, a hybrid from Latin nonus "ninth" (see nones) + ending from pentagon, etc.
- nonce (n.)
- abstracted from phrase for þe naness (c. 1200) "for a special occasion, for a particular purpose," itself a misdivision (see N for other examples) of for þan anes "for the once," in reference to a particular occasion or purpose, the þan being from Middle English dative definite article þam (see the). The phrase used from early 14c. as an empty filler in metrical composition. As an adjective from 1884.
- nonce-word (n.)
- "word coined for a special occasion," 1922, from nonce + word (n.).
- nonchalance (n.)
- 1670s, from French nonchalance (13c.), from nonchalant (see nonchalant).
- nonchalant (adj.)
- 1734, from French nonchalant, present participle of nonchaloir "be indifferent to, have no concern for" (13c.), from non- "not" (see non-) + chaloir "have concern for," ultimately from Latin calere "be hot" (see calorie). French chaland "customer, client" is of the same origin. Related: Nonchalantly.
- nondescript (adj.)
- 1680s, "not hitherto described," in scientific usage, coined from non- + Latin descriptus, past participle of describere (see describe). General sense of "not easily described or classified" is from 1806.
- none (n.)
- Old English nan (pron.) "not one, not any," from ne "not" (see no) + an "one" (see one). Cognate with Old Saxon, Middle Low German nen, Old Norse neinn, Middle Dutch, Dutch neen, Old High German, German nein "no," and analogous to Latin non- (see non-). As an adverb from c. 1200. As an adjective, since c. 1600 reduced to no except in a few archaic phrases, especially before vowels, such as none other, none the worse.
- nones (n.)
- early 15c., in reference to the Roman calendar, "ninth day (by inclusive reckoning) before the ides of each month" (7th of March, May, July, October, 5th of other months), from Latin nonæ (accusative nonas), fem. plural of nonus "ninth." Ecclesiastical sense of "daily office said originally at the ninth hour of the day" is from 1709; originally fixed at ninth hour from sunrise, hence about 3 p.m. (now usually somewhat earlier), from Latin nona (hora) "ninth (hour)," from fem. plural of nonus "ninth," contracted from *novenos, from novem "nine" (see nine). Also used in a sense of "midday" (see noon).
- nonesuch
- see nonsuch.
- nonet
- "composition for nine instruments," 1865, from Italian nonetto, from nono "ninth," from Latin nonus (see nones).
- nonetheless
- 1839, as phrase none the less; contracted into one word from c. 1930.
- nonfeasance (n.)
- also non-feasance, "failure to do what should be done," 1590s, from non- + feasance.
- nonpareil (adj.)
- late 15c., "having no equal," from Middle French nonpareil "unequalled, peerless," from non- "not" (see non-) + pareil "equal." The noun meaning "an unequaled person or thing" is from 1590s; first applied to a kind of candy 1690s. As the name of a printing type (6 point size) it is attested from 1640s.
- nonplus (v.)
- "to bring to a nonplus, to perplex," 1590s, from the noun (1580s), properly "state where 'nothing more' can be done or said," from Latin non plus "no more, no further" (see plus). Related: Nonplussed.
- nonplussed (adj.)
- c. 1600, past participle adjective from nonplus.
- nonsense (n.)
- 1610s, from non- + sense; perhaps influenced by French nonsens.
- nonsensical (adj.)
- 1650s, from nonsense + -ical. Related: Nonsensically.
- nonsuch (n.)
- 1580s, nonesuch "unmatched or unrivaled thing," from none + such. As a type of decorated 16c. or 17c. chest, it is in reference to Nonesuch Palace, in Surrey, which supposedly is represented in the designs.
- noob (n.)
- c. 2000 in gamer slang, variant of newbie; often used interchangeably with it, but also often with a more derogatory shade of meaning; newbies owe their clueless behavior to lack of experience and can improve, while the fundamental characteristic of noobs is incorrigible obnoxiousness or stupidity.
- noodle (n.)
- "narrow strip of dried dough," 1779, from German Nudel, which is of unknown origin. West Flemish noedel and French nouille are German loan-words. The older noun meaning "simpleton, stupid person" (1753) probably is an unrelated word, as is the slang word for "head" (attested from 1914).
- noodle (v.)
- 1937 (implied in noodling), from noun meaning "improvised music," 1926, probably from noodle (n.), on analogy of the suppleness of the food and that of the trills and improvised phrases in jazz improvisations. Related: Noodled.
- nook (n.)
- c. 1300, noke, of unknown origin. Possibly connected with Norwegian dialectal nokke "hook, bent figure," or Old English hnecca "neck," but the sense evolution would be difficult.
- nookie (n.)
- "sexual activity," 1928, perhaps from Dutch neuken "to copulate with."