non-linear (adj.) Look up non-linear at Dictionary.com
also nonlinear, 1844, from non- + linear.
non-member (n.) Look up non-member at Dictionary.com
1640s, from non- + member.
non-metal Look up non-metal at Dictionary.com
also nonmetal, 1866, from non- + metal. Related: Non-metallic (1815).
non-partisan (adj.) Look up non-partisan at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up non-perishable at Dictionary.com
also nonperishable, 1887, from non- + perishable.
non-polar (adj.) Look up non-polar at Dictionary.com
also nonpolar, 1892, from non- + polar.
non-political (adj.) Look up non-political at Dictionary.com
1860, from non- + political.
non-profit (adj.) Look up non-profit at Dictionary.com
also nonprofit, 1922, from non- + profit (n.).
non-proliferation (n.) Look up non-proliferation at Dictionary.com
also nonproliferation, 1965, from non- + proliferation; originally in reference to nuclear weapons.
non-renewable (adj.) Look up non-renewable at Dictionary.com
also nonrenewable, 1946, from non- + renewable.
non-residence (n.) Look up non-residence at Dictionary.com
also nonresidence, late 14c., originally with reference to clergy, from non- + residence. Related: Non-residency.
non-resident (n.) Look up non-resident at Dictionary.com
also nonresident, early 15c., from non- + resident.
non-resistance (n.) Look up non-resistance at Dictionary.com
1640s, from non- + resistance.
non-returnable (adj.) Look up non-returnable at Dictionary.com
1903, from non- + returnable.
non-sectarian (adj.) Look up non-sectarian at Dictionary.com
also nonsectarian, 1831, from non- + sectarian.
non-smoker (n.) Look up non-smoker at Dictionary.com
also nonsmoker, "person who does not smoke," 1846, in reference to railways. Non-smoking (adj.) is attested from 1891.
non-standard (adj.) Look up non-standard at Dictionary.com
also nonstandard, 1926, from non- + standard. A linguist's value-neutral term for language formerly stigmatized as "bad" or "vulgar."
non-stop (adj.) Look up non-stop at Dictionary.com
also nonstop, 1903, from non- + stop (v.); originally of railway trains. As an adverb from 1920.
non-toxic (adj.) Look up non-toxic at Dictionary.com
also nontoxic, 1892, from non- + toxic.
non-vascular (adj.) Look up non-vascular at Dictionary.com
also nonvascular, 1815, from non- + vascular.
non-verbal (adj.) Look up non-verbal at Dictionary.com
also nonverbal, 1927, from non- + verbal.
non-violence (n.) Look up non-violence at Dictionary.com
also nonviolence, 1831, from non- + violence. Gandhi used it from 1920.
non-violent (adj.) Look up non-violent at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up non-volatile at Dictionary.com
also nonvolatile, 1837, from non- + volatile.
nona- Look up nona- at Dictionary.com
before vowels non-, word-forming element from comb. form of Latin nonus "ninth" (see nones).
nonage (n.) Look up nonage at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "state of not being of age," from Old French nonage, from non- (see non-) + age (see age (n.)).
nonagenarian (n.) Look up nonagenarian at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up nonagon at Dictionary.com
"plane figure with nine sides," 1680s, a hybrid from Latin nonus "ninth" (see nones) + ending from pentagon, etc.
nonce (n.) Look up nonce at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up nonce-word at Dictionary.com
"word coined for a special occasion," 1922, from nonce + word (n.).
nonchalance (n.) Look up nonchalance at Dictionary.com
1670s, from French nonchalance (13c.), from nonchalant (see nonchalant).
nonchalant (adj.) Look up nonchalant at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up nondescript at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up none at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up nones at Dictionary.com
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 Look up nonesuch at Dictionary.com
see nonsuch.
nonet Look up nonet at Dictionary.com
"composition for nine instruments," 1865, from Italian nonetto, from nono "ninth," from Latin nonus (see nones).
nonetheless Look up nonetheless at Dictionary.com
1839, as phrase none the less; contracted into one word from c. 1930.
nonfeasance (n.) Look up nonfeasance at Dictionary.com
also non-feasance, "failure to do what should be done," 1590s, from non- + feasance.
nonpareil (adj.) Look up nonpareil at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up nonplus at Dictionary.com
"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.) Look up nonplussed at Dictionary.com
c. 1600, past participle adjective from nonplus.
nonsense (n.) Look up nonsense at Dictionary.com
1610s, from non- + sense; perhaps influenced by French nonsens.
nonsensical (adj.) Look up nonsensical at Dictionary.com
1650s, from nonsense + -ical. Related: Nonsensically.
nonsuch (n.) Look up nonsuch at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up noob at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up noodle at Dictionary.com
"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.) Look up noodle at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up nook at Dictionary.com
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.) Look up nookie at Dictionary.com
"sexual activity," 1928, perhaps from Dutch neuken "to copulate with."