Nonbearing

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing something that does not produce fruit or seeds ; lacking support or influence in a structural context ; not contributing to load or weight in construction
2. Characterizing plants or parts that fail to yield fruit ; referring to elements that do not provide bearing capacity or support within frameworks ; indicating the absence of functional output or result
3. Pertaining to items or components that neither generate offspring nor sustain structural loads ; denoting nonproductive or ineffective characteristics in biological or architectural settings ; marking an absence of substantive contribution or bearing responsibility

Etymology: "Nonbearing" is a plain compound: the prefix "non-," meaning "not," attached to "bearing," the present participle of "bear." Put together, the word describes something that does not carry a load, or, in agriculture and botany, something that does not bear fruit or seeds. The root sense of "bear" as "carry" or "support" explains both uses. A nonbearing wall is one that holds up no weight from the floor or roof above it, which is why builders distinguish it from a load-bearing wall. In plant terms, the same idea of bearing as producing or yielding applies to a tree or vine that gives no crop, so an orchard might have nonbearing trees that are still too young or simply unproductive.

Synonyms: unproductive, sterile, barren, infertile, fruitless

Antonyms: bearing, productive, fruitful, fertile