non-myelinated
|non-my-el-i-nat-ed|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈmaɪələˌneɪtɪd/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈmaɪələˌneɪtɪd/
(myelinated)
lacking a myelin sheath
Etymology
'non-myelinated' is formed in English by the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') attached to 'myelinated' (from 'myelin' + the adjectival/past-participle suffix '-ated').
'myelin' comes into scientific English via Modern Latin 'myelinum' from Greek 'myelos' meaning 'marrow'; the verb 'myelinate' was coined in modern histological terminology (19th century) and produced the past participle/adjective 'myelinated'; the productive negative prefix 'non-' was later attached to form 'non-myelinated'.
Originally the Greek root 'myelos' referred to 'marrow'; over time 'myelin' came to denote the specific fatty sheath of certain nerve fibers, and 'myelinated'/'non-myelinated' now describe presence or absence of that sheath.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not myelinated; lacking a myelin sheath around a nerve fiber (i.e., nerve fibers without the insulating fatty layer).
Non-myelinated fibers conduct impulses more slowly than myelinated fibers.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/25 15:57