nondividing
|non-di-vid-ing|
🇺🇸
/nɑn.dɪˈvaɪ.dɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/nɒn.dɪˈvaɪ.dɪŋ/
not undergoing division
Etymology
'nondividing' originates from English, formed from the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non') meaning 'not' and the verb 'divide' from Latin 'dividere', where the roots indicated separation; together they create a negated participle meaning 'not dividing'.
'nondividing' developed by combining the prefix 'non-' with the present participle 'dividing' (the verb 'divide' coming into English via Old French and Middle English from Latin 'dividere'), producing the modern compound adjective in Modern English.
Initially the parts meant 'not' (for 'non-') and 'to separate' (for 'divide'); over time they combined to form the specific modern sense 'not undergoing division', particularly used in biological contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not undergoing division; not dividing (often used of cells or tissues that are not currently going through cell division).
Many neurons in the adult brain are nondividing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/20 12:47