nonthermal
|non-ther-mal|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈθɝːməl/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈθɜːməl/
not caused by heat
Etymology
'nonthermal' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') combined with 'thermal' (from Greek 'thermos' meaning 'hot' via Latin/French).
'thermal' derives from Greek 'thermos' ('hot'), passed into Latin as 'thermicus' and into modern European languages (e.g. French 'thermal') before entering English; the productive English prefix 'non-' (from Old English/Proto-Germanic negation) was attached to create 'nonthermal' in technical usage.
Initially, 'thermal' meant 'of or relating to heat'; 'nonthermal' has consistently meant 'not related to heat,' but modern scientific usage has sharpened it to contrast heat-driven vs. other mechanisms (e.g., nonthermal plasma).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not caused by, produced by, or related to heat; not thermal.
The device uses nonthermal methods to preserve the sample's structure.
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Adjective 2
in scientific or technical contexts: describing processes, effects, or plasmas in which energy transfer or reactions are not primarily due to bulk temperature (e.g., nonthermal plasma, nonthermal sterilization).
Nonthermal plasma can disinfect surfaces without significantly raising temperature.
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Last updated: 2025/09/21 23:18