Nonskid

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A surface treatment or material designed to prevent slipping or sliding by increasing friction and grip
2. A material or coating applied to surfaces to increase traction and prevent slips or falls by enhancing grip and stability during movement
3. A material used in coatings or surfaces to enhance friction and minimize the risk of slipping or sliding when in contact with feet or objects

Etymology: Nonskid is a plain English compound, built from the prefix "non-" meaning "not" and "skid," the word for a sliding loss of grip. The prefix comes down from Old English "nān," meaning "not one" or "none," which also gave Middle English "non," and it attached freely to English nouns and adjectives. The result, a surface or tyre that does not skid, needs no special history to explain it. The more interesting thread lies in "skid" itself. The word came into English from Scandinavian sources, where it meant a piece of wood or a plank, and it was used for a block or runner placed under a wheel to stop it turning. The sense of a vehicle sliding sideways on a slick road came later, as sliding became the more common meaning. A nonskid surface is therefore, in effect, one that refuses to let a wheel slide, which is close to the original purpose of the wooden block.

Synonyms: anti-slip, grippy, non-slippery, traction, secure

Antonyms: slippery, smooth, dangerous, unstable, hazardous