Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
nonplus. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
nonplus, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
nonplus in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
nonplus you have here. The definition of the word
nonplus will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
nonplus, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
The noun is derived from Latin nōn plūs (“no further, no more”), from nōn (“not”) + plūs (“additionally, more; further”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)).[1]
The verb is derived from the noun.[2]
Pronunciation
Noun
nonplus (plural nonpluses or nonplusses)
- (dated) A state of bewilderment or perplexity.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Names”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book I, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC, pages 149–150:ltering Vaudemont, to Vallemontanus, and metamorphoſing them, by ſuting them to the Græcian or Latin tongue, we know not what to make of them, and are often at a non-plus.
1657, Richard Ligon, A True & Exact History of the Island of Barbados. , London: Humphrey Moseley, , page 85:Being now made much abler to make their queries, of the ſecrets of that myſtery, by how much their often failings, had put them to often ſtops and nonpluſſes in the work.
1715, Robert South, “A Discourse Concerning the General Resurrection. On Acts xxiv. 15. ”, in Twelve Sermons Preached at Several Times, and upon Several Occasions, volume IV, London: G. James, for Jonah Bowyer , →OCLC, page 269:And if both of them are at a perfect Non-plus, and Baffle to all Humane Underſtanding; is it poſſible for Natural Reaſon to comprehend what the Heart of Man cannot conceive?
1792, Charlotte Smith, “Letter VI. To Mr. Bethel.”, in Desmond. , volume I, London: G[eorge,] G J and J Robinson, , →OCLC, page 89:I believe they'd ſoon be put to a non-plus—You'd be quite too much for them, I'm ſure.
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
nonplus (third-person singular simple present nonplusses or nonpluses, present participle nonplussing or nonplusing, simple past and past participle nonplussed or nonplused)
- (transitive) To bewilder or perplex (someone); to confound, to flummox.
Derived terms
Translations
to bewilder or perplex (someone)
- Bulgarian: обърквам (bg) (obǎrkvam), затруднявам (bg) (zatrudnjavam)
- Czech: zaskočit (cs)
- Finnish: hämmentää (fi), saattaa ymmälle, askarruttaa (fi)
- German: verwirren (de), verdutzen (de), verblüffen (de)
- Greek: μπερδεύω (el) (berdévo), σαστίζω (el) (sastízo)
- Hungarian: meghökkent (hu), elképeszt (hu)
- Mandarin: 使困惑
- Maori: whakahēhē
- Portuguese: pasmar (pt)
- Russian: озадачивать (ru) (ozadačivatʹ), запутывать (ru) (zaputyvatʹ)
- Spanish: confundir (es), desconcertar (es), perplejar
|
References
- ^ “nonplus, n. and adj.”, in OED Online
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “nonplus, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- ^ “nonplus, v.”, in OED Online
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2022; “nonplus, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.