ball-lessadj.

Brit.

/ˈbɔːlləs/, U.S.

/ˈbɔ(l)ləs/,

/ˈbɑ(l)ləs/

Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: ball n.¹, -less suffix.

Etymology: < ball n.¹ + -less suffix.

1. Having no ball or balls.

ΚΠ

1844 W. Thom Rhymes & Recoll. 83 The ball-less eye of Death.

1929 Charleston (W. Va.) 28 Aug. 10/4 The boy of Vermont had a stickless and ball-less golf course in a cow pasture.

1951 Charleroi (Pa.) Mail 6 Feb. 2/4 Growing out of the ball-less left eye socket was a third antler.

2002 Which? Apr. 30/1 They [sc. computer mice] come cordless, ball-less, ambidextrous, ergonomically shaped, and programmable.

2. slang (chiefly U.S.). Of a male: having no testicles (rare); (chiefly in extended use) unmanly; weak, lacking in nerve. Cf. gutless adj. 2.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [adjective] > weak in character or will

nesheOE

feeblec1200

softc1275

weaka1425

infirm1526

lithya1533

unheaded1577

spiritless1595

pappy1597

irresolute1600

marrowless1607

seducible1613

wax-nosedc1615

unsinewy?1623

reedy1628

swayable1642

short-spirited1647

weak-headed1654

lath-backed1676

will-less?1680

tiffany-trader1702

weak-minded1716

lax1751

lax-fibred1762

nerveless1783

wishy-washy1801

marcid1822

molluscous1836

boneless1848

weedy1849

putty-headed1857

flabby1862

weak-kneed1863

fibreless1864

invertebrate1867

chinless1881

backboneless1882

featherweight1885

spineless1885

weak-willed1885

totter-kneed1887

akratic1896

effete1905

weakling1906

gutless1915

willowish1919

Milquetoast1932

nannified1960

ball-less1967

1967 Jrnl. Sex Res. 3 43 On one occasion, in the shower room, when a boy called him ‘ball-less,’ the patient told him ‘he better watch his mouth, it ain't my fault I'm like that.’

1968 F. Exley Fan's Notes v. 199 The ball-less men one sees every day on Madison Avenue.

1988 M. Bishop Unicorn Mountain (1989) xii. 130 You ball-less brute! You... lily-livered klutz!

1991 E. Lax Woody Allen v. 345 It's cold, boring, ball-less. A cure for insomnia.

2005 Village Voice (Nexis) 31 May 125 Your concern that being assertive and judgmental would deny these guys the right to make their own decisions is ball-less bullshit.

This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	ball-less
释义	ball-lessadj. Brit. /ˈbɔːlləs/, U.S. /ˈbɔ(l)ləs/, /ˈbɑ(l)ləs/ Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: ball n.¹, -less suffix. Etymology: < ball n.¹ + -less suffix. 1. Having no ball or balls. ΚΠ 1844 W. Thom Rhymes & Recoll. 83 The ball-less eye of Death. 1929 Charleston (W. Va.) 28 Aug. 10/4 The boy of Vermont had a stickless and ball-less golf course in a cow pasture. 1951 Charleroi (Pa.) Mail 6 Feb. 2/4 Growing out of the ball-less left eye socket was a third antler. 2002 Which? Apr. 30/1 They [sc. computer mice] come cordless, ball-less, ambidextrous, ergonomically shaped, and programmable. 2. slang (chiefly U.S.). Of a male: having no testicles (rare); (chiefly in extended use) unmanly; weak, lacking in nerve. Cf. gutless adj. 2. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [adjective] > weak in character or will nesheOE feeblec1200 softc1275 weaka1425 infirm1526 lithya1533 unheaded1577 spiritless1595 pappy1597 irresolute1600 marrowless1607 seducible1613 wax-nosedc1615 unsinewy?1623 reedy1628 swayable1642 short-spirited1647 weak-headed1654 lath-backed1676 will-less?1680 tiffany-trader1702 weak-minded1716 lax1751 lax-fibred1762 nerveless1783 wishy-washy1801 marcid1822 molluscous1836 boneless1848 weedy1849 putty-headed1857 flabby1862 weak-kneed1863 fibreless1864 invertebrate1867 chinless1881 backboneless1882 featherweight1885 spineless1885 weak-willed1885 totter-kneed1887 akratic1896 effete1905 weakling1906 gutless1915 willowish1919 Milquetoast1932 nannified1960 ball-less1967 1967 Jrnl. Sex Res. 3 43 On one occasion, in the shower room, when a boy called him ‘ball-less,’ the patient told him ‘he better watch his mouth, it ain't my fault I'm like that.’ 1968 F. Exley Fan's Notes v. 199 The ball-less men one sees every day on Madison Avenue. 1988 M. Bishop Unicorn Mountain (1989) xii. 130 You ball-less brute! You... lily-livered klutz! 1991 E. Lax Woody Allen v. 345 It's cold, boring, ball-less. A cure for insomnia. 2005 Village Voice (Nexis) 31 May 125 Your concern that being assertive and judgmental would deny these guys the right to make their own decisions is ball-less bullshit. This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < adj.1844
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