nonblocking
|non-block-ing|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈblɑkɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈblɒkɪŋ/
not causing a block / not making something wait
Etymology
'nonblocking' originates from English, formed by attaching the negative prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') to the present participle 'blocking' of the verb 'block'.
'blocking' is derived from the verb 'block', which came into Middle English as 'blokke' (or 'bloc') from Old French 'bloc', ultimately tracing to a Germanic source (compare Old High German 'bloh') referring to a 'log' or 'block'. The prefix 'non-' has long been used in English to negate adjectives and participles.
Initially related to the physical idea of not forming a block or obstruction; in technical contexts (especially computing) it evolved to mean 'not causing a process to wait' (i.e., allowing asynchronous progress).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not forming a block or obstruction; not preventing movement or progress. In computing: not causing a process or thread to wait (i.e., allowing continuation without blocking).
The server uses nonblocking I/O to handle many connections without waiting.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/09 20:34