non-succulent
|non-suc-cu-lent|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈsʌkjələnt/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈsʌkjʊlənt/
not juicy / not fleshy
Etymology
'non-succulent' is formed by combining the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') with 'succulent' from Latin 'succulentus', ultimately from 'succus' meaning 'juice'.
'succulent' entered English from Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'succulentus' (from 'succus' = 'juice') and developed the botanical sense 'fleshy, juicy'; the productive negative prefix 'non-' (Old English/Latin) has long been used in English to negate adjectives, producing the modern compound 'non-succulent'.
Initially 'succulent' meant 'full of juice' in general usage; over time it gained the technical botanical meaning 'having fleshy tissues that store water'. 'Non-succulent' has the straightforward, unchanged negative sense 'not succulent' in both general and botanical uses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a plant or item that is non-succulent (used as a countable noun: 'a non-succulent').
Several non-succulents were planted along the shaded border.
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Adjective 1
not succulent; lacking succulence — not juicy or not having thick, fleshy, water-retaining tissues.
The fruit was non-succulent and rather dry.
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Adjective 2
in botanical contexts: not belonging to the group of succulent plants (i.e., not a plant with fleshy water-storing tissues).
Most temperate garden perennials are non-succulent and require regular watering.
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Last updated: 2025/11/20 22:39