shell-less
See also: shellless
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Adjective[edit]
shell-less (comparative more shell-less, superlative most shell-less)
- Lacking a shell.
- Unprotected, vulnerable.
Usage notes[edit]
The suffix -less is not usually hyphenated. Gary Rosenberg has mentioned 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[edit]
unprotected, vulnerable