Discontiguous

/ˌdɪskənˈtɪɡjuəs/ adjective

Definition

Not touching or connected; separated by gaps or distances; not continuous.

Etymology

From dis- (not) + contiguous (from Latin contiguus: touching, neighboring). The -ous suffix (Latin -osus) forms adjectives meaning 'full of' or 'having the quality of.' It's the opposite of contiguous.

Kelly Says

Mathematicians and computer scientists use 'discontiguous' to describe data that isn't stored in one continuous block—like when your computer file gets scattered across the hard drive, which slows everything down!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.