nonplus

See also: non plus and non-plus

English

Alternative forms

• non-plus

Etymology

PIE word *ne

PIE word *óynos

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /nɒnˈplʌs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌnɑnˈplʌs/
• Rhymes: -ʌs
• Hyphenation: non‧plus

Noun

nonplus (plural nonpluses or nonplusses)

1. (dated) A state of bewilderment or perplexity.
   • 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:

     [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.

   • 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[eorge,] J[ohn] and J[ames] 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

• nonplussed (derived from either the noun or verb)

Translations

state of bewilderment or perplexity — see bewilderment,‎ perplexity

Verb

nonplus (third-person singular simple present nonplusses or nonpluses, present participle nonplussing or nonplusing, simple past and past participle nonplussed or nonplused)

1. (transitive) To bewilder or perplex (someone); to confound, to flummox.
   • 1934 October 5, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter II, in Right Ho, Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins […], →OCLC, page 24:

     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.

Derived terms

• nonplusation (uncommon)
• nonplussed (derived from either the noun or verb)
• nonplusser (rare)
• nonplussing (adjective) (rare)

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