non|met|al «NON MEHT uhl», noun.
a chemical element, such as carbon or nitrogen, lacking the physical properties of a metal; nonmetallic element. A nonmetal forms acidic oxides and is electronegative in solution. »
... the halogen family—the family that begins with fluorine, the supreme example of a nonmetal (J. Crowther).
Useful english dictionary. 2012.