non-ionicadj.n.
/ˌnɒnʌɪˈɒnɪk/, U.S. /ˌnɑnaɪˈɑnɪk/ A. adj.
Not ionic; spec. (esp. of a detergent) not dissociating into ions in aqueous solution.
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the world > matter > chemistry > ions, ionization, or electrolysis > [adjective] > not ionic
non-ionic1896
1896 Science 2 Oct. 467/1 In what may be called non-ionic reactions, on the other hand, the initial dissociation appears to be trifling.
1943 Chem. Industries 52 327/1 Non-ionic surface active agents..are not ionizable and owe their effectiveness to a proper balance between certain hydrophilic (polar) and lyophilic (non-polar) groups in their molecules.
1963 A. J. Hall Student's Handbk. Textile Sci. vi. 296 Surface active agents or surfactants can be usefully classified into three main groups—anion-active, non-ionic, and cation-active.
1989 Adverse Drug Reactions & Acute Poisoning Rev. 8 138 Treatment is mainly symptomatic, as the lead is present in the non-ionic form.
2000 Guardian 6 Apr. (Science section) 3/5 Starch has excellent chemical reactivity and supplies numerous compounds including mild non-ionic surfactants like glucamide.
B. n.
A non-ionic substance, esp. a non-ionic detergent.
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the world > matter > chemistry > ions, ionization, or electrolysis > [noun] > non-ionic substance
non-ionic1952
1952 Mod. Sanitation 4 63/1 Nonionics render iodine soluble in aqueous solutions providing the amount of iodine does not exceed 25% based on the nonionic.
1972 Materials & Technol. V. x. 308 In several of the different classes of these non-ionics, it is possible to obtain products ranging from completely oil-soluble to completely water-soluble.
1989 Pharmaceut. Jrnl. 16 Sept. 341/2 Transitions due to lipid melting that were removed by the anionics alone were protected by the added non-ionics.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1896