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nonstick

American  
[non-stik] / ˈnɒnˌstɪk /

adjective

  1. having or providing a finish designed to prevent food from sticking during cooking or baking.

    a nonstick saucepan; a nonstick cooking spray.
nonstick British  
/ ˈnɒnˈstɪk /

adjective

  1. (of saucepans, frying pans, etc) coated with a substance such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that prevents food sticking to them

"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

Etymology

Origin of nonstick

First recorded in 1955–60; non- + stick 2

Vocabulary lists containing nonstick

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: non-

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The unexpected material proved extremely slippery and heat resistant and later became widely used in nonstick cookware and industrial applications.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

Though the story continues to develop, many consumers find themselves increasingly unsure about which nonstick pans are safe, durable and truly high-performance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

In her recipe for classic Gulab Jamun, Selvaraju starts with whole milk, ghee and milk powder, which are mixed and combined in a heated nonstick pan to create a thick paste.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025

He pointed to Illinois, which recently passed similar legislation but ultimately nixed the line banning nonstick cookware.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025

They will be like electricity and rainbows arid nonstick frying pans.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.