Nonfouling

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a surface or material that resists the accumulation of unwanted biological growth such as algae or barnacles to maintain cleanliness and performance
2. Pertaining to coatings or treatments applied to prevent organisms from attaching and fouling surfaces, especially in marine environments
3. Characterizing substances or methods designed to keep surfaces free from obstruction or contamination caused by living organisms that can impair function or efficiency

Etymology: "Nonfouling" is a plain formation: the prefix "non-" attached to "fouling," the present participle of "foul," used here in its older nautical and biological sense of becoming covered with unwanted growth. In shipping, "fouling" has long meant the accumulation of barnacles, weed and slime on a ship's hull, which slows it and raises fuel costs. The adjective describes surfaces or materials that resist that buildup. Its meaning is narrower than the word's parts suggest: the "non-" simply negates the sense of fouling, so a nonfouling coating is one that stops organisms from settling and growing on it. Since the term is built from transparent parts, readers can decode it on sight, which is why it has spread readily in marine engineering and materials science.

Synonyms: antifouling, self-cleaning

Antonyms: fouling, dirty