Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
nonplus en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌnɑnˈplʌs/ (General-American)
- /nɒnˈplʌs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
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”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Meanings
-
(obsolete) A state of bewilderment or perplexity.
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?
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: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.
1657, Richard Ligon, A True & Exact History of the Island of Barbados. […], London: […] Humphrey Moseley, […], page 85:[A]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.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Names”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, pages 149–150:I believe they'd ſoon be put to a non-plus—You'd be quite too much for them, I'm ſure.
1792, Charlotte Smith, “Letter VI. To Mr. Bethel.”, in Desmond. […], volume I, London: […] G[eorge,] G[eorge,] J[ohn] and J[ames] Robinson, […], →OCLC, page 89:
Forms
Deriveds
nonplussed
nonplus en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˌnɑnˈplʌs/ (General-American)
- /nɒnˈplʌs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
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”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To bewilder or perplex (someone); to confound, to flummox.
You couldn’t have told it from my manner, but I was feeling more than a bit nonplussed. The spectacle before me was enough to nonplus anyone.
1934 October 5, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter II, in Right Ho, Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins […], →OCLC, page 24:
Forms
Deriveds
nonplusment · nonplussation · nonplussing · nonplusser · nonplussed · nonplusation
Translations (23)
fi hämmentää (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · hu elképeszt (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · pl skonsternować (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · pl konsternować (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · cs zaskočit (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · fi saattaa ymmälle (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · mi whakahēhē (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · de verblüffen (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · bg затруднявам (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · ru озадачивать (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · bg обърквам (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · es desconcertar (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · es confundir (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · hu meghökkent (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · fi askarruttaa (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · cmn 使困惑 (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · el μπερδεύω (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · el σαστίζω (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · pt pasmar (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · de verwirren (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · es perplejar (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · ru запутывать (to bewilder or perplex (someone)) · de verdutzen (to bewilder or perplex (someone))