shell-less

English

Etymology

shell +‎ -less

Adjective

shell-less (comparative more shell-less, superlative most shell-less)

1. Lacking a shell.
2. Unprotected, vulnerable.

Usage notes

The suffix -less is not usually hyphenated. Gary Rosenberg has meantioned that shellless is "a word that I keep trying to slip into professional papers (I'm a malacologist by trade), but so far no editor has let it stand." The unhyphenated spelling, though suggested, is not currently found in any major dictionary.

Translations