Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
adj
Having no spines, prickles, or thorns.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: unspined, unspiny
Antonyms: spined, spiny
adj
Having no spinal column.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: invertebrate
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Cowardly, uncourageous; lacking character.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: invertebrate, gutless, boneless, backboneless, base, bitch-ass, caitiff, candy-assed, chicken, chicken-hearted, chicken-livered, chickenshit, courageless, cowardish, cowardly, cowardy, cowhearted, cowish, craven, cravenhearted, cringey, dastard, dastardly, dickless, dough-faced, fainthearted, fearful, fraidy, gizzardless, heartless, invalorous, hen-hearted, kiasi, lily-livered, liver-faced, liver-hearted, low-hearted, miching, milky, milk-livered, mouse-hearted, mousy, nerveless, niddering, nidering, niding, nithing, nutless, pigeon-livered, poltroonish, poor-spirited, punk, pusillanimous, pussylike, ratlike, rabbit-hearted, recrayed, retromingent, sissy, spineless, timid, timorous, unhearty, weak-kneed, white-hearted, white-livered, wimpish, yellow, yellow-bellied
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
lacking spiny processes
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: spinous
adjective
lacking a backbone or spinal column
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: invertebrate
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
lacking thorns
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: thornless
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
weak in willpower, courage or vitality
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: namby-pamby, gutless, wishy-washy
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology tree English spine Proto-Indo-European *lewh1- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English spineless From spine + -less.
Across languages
40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
