wingless

[ wing-lis ]

adjective

1. having no wings. wings.
2. having only rudimentary wings, wings, as an apteryx.

ˈwingless

/ ˈwɪŋlɪs /

adjective

1. having no wings or vestigial wings
2. designating primitive insects of the subclass Apterygota, characterized by small size, lack of wings, and larvae resembling the adults: includes the springtails and bristletails

Derived Forms

• ˈwinglessness, noun

Other Words From

• wingless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wingless¹

First recorded in 1585–95; wing + -less

Example Sentences

After a few weeks, her offspring hatch, and wingless males mate with winged females, then chew an exit tunnel that allows the females to fly to another fig and repeat the process.

From Nautilus

When one designer randomly drew a picture of round, wingless birds with bushy eyebrows, they knew they had an idea.

From The Daily Beast

The latter family includes both winged and wingless forms, the Book-mites belonging to the latter category.

From Project Gutenberg

They are wingless, usually with simple eyes, and clothed with scales, and undergo no metamorphosis.

From Project Gutenberg

A third of the rarest moths of the collection for the man of India were antennaless, legless, wingless, and often headless.

From Project Gutenberg

On one of these leaves he placed a plant-louse, which was born under his own eyes, of a wingless mother.

From Project Gutenberg

Most of these insects, which we find so abundant upon our trees, are wingless females.

From Project Gutenberg