toothless

From Middle English totheles, toþeles, from Old English tōþlēas, from Proto-Germanic *tanþlausaz (“toothless”), equivalent to tooth +‎ -less. Cognate with Dutch tandeloos (“toothless”), German Low German tannlos (“toothless”), German zahnlos (“toothless”), Danish tandløs (“toothless”), Swedish tandlös (“toothless”), Icelandic tannlaus (“toothless”).

toothless (comparative more toothless, superlative most toothless)

1. Having no teeth.

   a toothless old man

2. (figuratively) Weak, having no capability of enforcing something.

   The treaty was toothless in combatting climate change.

• edentulous

• toothlessness
• toothy
• voice of the toothless one

• shootlets