nonce means one-off; produced or created for a single occasion or use. Denoting something occurring once.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, nonce ranks #3,361 of 14,431 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #7,252 of 14,438 for Most Storied Words.
nonce is pronounced /nɒns/.
Why “nonce” is a great word
Created, employed, or existing solely for a single, specific occasion. Its lineage is a ghost of syntax, emerging from Middle English *nonse*, *nones*, a rebracketing of the phrase 'to þen anes' or 'for þen anes' (meaning 'to/for the once'), from the dative singular neuter of *þe* (the); the cryptography sense is often, though likely incorrectly, said to be a contraction of 'number used once'. Unlike 'ephemeral', which evokes a general, transient fragility, or 'reusable', its functional opposite, a nonce word, object, or cipher key is built with a predetermined and terminal singularity. It is the password that dies upon entry, the teacup crown in a child's game, the cryptographic token that burns to ash after one authenticating flare—the quiet dignity of a thing that knows its purpose and expires having fulfilled it.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English nonse, nones, a rebracketing of Middle English to þen anes, for þen anes (to/for the once (i.e., the one occasion or instance)), from the dative singular neuter of þe. The cryptography sense is commonly said to be a contraction of number used once, although this is probably incorrect.
adj
- One-off; produced or created for a single occasion or use. Denoting something occurring once.e.g.“But particular men are not stereotyped for jobs nor particular desks (as against others) to sit at - the standard here is nonce.”
noun
- The one or single occasion; the present reason or purpose.e.g.“That will do for the nonce, but we'll need a better answer for the long term.”
- A nonce word.e.g.“I had thought that the term was a nonce, but it seems as if it's been picked up by other authors.”
- A value constructed so as to be unique to a particular message in a stream, in order to prevent replay attacks.
- A sex offender, especially one who is guilty of sexual offences against children.
- A pedophile.e.g.“‘He's a nonce[. A] nonsense merchant, a paedophile[,’ Terry explained.]”
- A police informer, one who betrays a criminal enterprise
- A stupid or worthless person.e.g.“Shut it, ya nonce!”
Words closest in meaning
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