non-blocking
|non-block-ing|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈblɑkɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈblɒkɪŋ/
not causing obstruction
Etymology
'non-blocking' is formed from the English prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') and the present-participle/gerund form 'blocking' of the verb 'block' (English).
'block' comes into English from Middle Dutch/French (Middle Dutch 'bloc' / Old French 'bloc'), entered Middle English as 'blok', developed the verb sense 'to obstruct', and later combined with the English -ing suffix to form 'blocking'; the modern compound 'non-blocking' arose by attaching the prefix 'non-' to 'blocking' in recent English usage (20th century, especially in technical contexts).
Originally, 'block' referred to a solid piece of wood or log and later gained the sense 'to obstruct'; 'non-blocking' originally meant 'not obstructing' in a general sense and has specialized in computing to mean 'not causing waiting or suspension'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the property or state of being non-blocking; behavior characterized by not causing blocking (often used in technical contexts to refer collectively to non-blocking techniques or calls).
Adopting non-blocking in the system improved throughput and responsiveness.
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Adjective 1
(computing) Describing an operation, routine, or algorithm that does not cause the executing thread or process to wait (block); allows the program to continue running while the operation completes (e.g., non-blocking I/O, non-blocking algorithm).
The library provides a non-blocking API so the UI stays responsive while data loads.
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Adjective 2
not causing physical obstruction; allowing passage or flow without impediment.
They installed a non-blocking gate so the entrance never becomes congested.
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Last updated: 2025/10/06 03:45