nonmetal

[ non-met-l ]

/ nɒnˈmɛt l /

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noun Chemistry.

an element not having the character of a metal, as carbon or nitrogen.

an element incapable of forming simple positive ions in solution.

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Origin of nonmetal

First recorded in 1865–70; non- + metal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nonmetal in a sentence

Many other reactions show that antimony has more of the properties of a metal than of a non-metal.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry|William McPherson
This mineral contains the metals aluminum and beryllium combined with the non-metal oxygen.
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public|Frank Bertram Wade
This light-non-metal did the same sort of thing; it reflected light and passed electricity.
The Black Star Passes|John W Campbell
That was no doubt light-matter, a non-metal, and as such, non-conductive to light.
The Black Star Passes|John W Campbell

Like sulphur, an electric non-metal, it reflected the base of which it was formed.
The Black Star Passes|John W Campbell

British Dictionary definitions for nonmetal

nonmetal

/ (nɒnˈmɛtəl) /

noun

any of a number of chemical elements that form negative ions, have acidic oxides, and are generally poor conductors of heat and electricity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012