gizzardless

English edit

WOTD – 21 September 2015

gizzardless (not comparable)

Without a gizzard; without guts or innards.
- 1906, Joel Parker Whitney, Reminiscences of a Sportsman, page 10:
  This bird has the distinguishing feature of being unlike any of the grouse family, being gizzardless, having no muscular development of that character, but a membranous sac in its place.
- 1913, Gene Stratton-Porter, Laddie: A True Blue Story, page 330:
  No matter what happened to any one else, Candace had to be pleased: for did not she so manage that most fowls served on mother's table went gizzardless to the carving?
(figurative) Lacking courage, cowardly.
- 1925, James Stevens, Paul Bunyan, page 32:
  "Heave harder on that peavy handle, you gizzardless scissor-bill, or I'll put the calks to you!"
- 2013, Rob Davies, Henhouse High Jinx: Mr. Stevens and Friends, page 82:
  If you think you're in pain now, just wait until you see what tomorrow brings, you gizzardless coward.