Nonmetallic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to elements that lack metallic properties, exhibiting characteristics such as poor conductivity of heat and electricity, and typically being brittle or gaseous at room temperature
2. Describing substances that are not metals, which generally display low density, high electronegativity, and can exist in various states including solid, liquid, or gas
3. Pertaining to materials that do not exhibit metallic traits, often characterized by their insulative properties and diverse forms, including noble gases and certain solid compounds

Etymology: "Nonmetallic" is a plain English compound with no hidden surprises: the prefix "non-" (from Old English "nān," meaning "not one") joined to "metallic." The more useful story lies in the second half. "Metallic" grows from "metal," which came into English through Old French from Latin "metallum," itself borrowed from Ancient Greek "métallon," a word meaning mine or quarry, the place where ore was dug. So a term for substances that are not metals is built on a word that originally named the pit rather than the material. The chain of formation matters here. "Nonmetal" was formed first, as a noun for an element outside the metals, and "-ic" was then added to produce the adjective. The suffix "-ic" traces back through Latin "-icus," from Proto-Italic, to Proto-Indo-European roots, and entered English in Middle English as "-ik."

Synonyms: non-metal, organic, insulator, non-conductive, elemental

Antonyms: metallic, conductive, alloy, ferrous, malleable