non-fermenting
|non-fer-ment-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑn.fərˈmɛn.tɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒn.fəˈmɛn.tɪŋ/
not undergoing fermentation
Etymology
'non-fermenting' originates from English, specifically formed from the prefix 'non-' and the present participle 'fermenting' of the verb 'ferment', where 'non-' meant 'not' and 'ferment' ultimately derives from Latin 'fermentum' meaning 'leaven'.
'ferment' changed from Latin 'fermentum' into Old French 'ferment' and then into Middle English 'ferment'; in Modern English it combined with the negative prefix 'non-' to form compounds such as 'non-fermenting'.
Initially, 'ferment' meant 'leaven' or a substance that causes fermentation; over time it broadened to mean the chemical/biological process of fermentation, and 'non-fermenting' came to mean 'not undergoing fermentation'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not undergoing fermentation; incapable of fermenting (often used in microbiology to describe organisms that do not ferment carbohydrates).
The lab reported several non-fermenting Gram-negative rods that required further identification.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/28 04:16