Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Lacking teeth.
  • adjective Lacking force; ineffectual.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having no teeth, in any sense; deprived of teeth, as by age; edentulous; edentate; anodont.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having no teeth.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having no teeth.
  • adjective figuratively Weak, having no capability of enforcing something.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective lacking teeth
  • adjective lacking necessary force for effectiveness

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

tooth +‎ -less

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Examples

  • SNOW: Now, in addition to establishing a peace treaty, a former UNIFIL official says unless there is a clear mandate, there will be what he describes as a toothless U.N. peacekeeping force that will turn out only to be a disaster -- Wolf.

    CNN Transcript Jul 21, 2006 2006

  • He agreed the days of the Australian Press Council, which he called a "toothless tiger", could be numbered

    The Australian | News | 2011

  • The hearing also highlighted partisan differences, as agents raised concerns about existing gun laws one called "toothless."

    Top Brass Cited in Gun Sting Evan Perez 2011

  • I enjoyed it FAR FAR more than AVATAR. alnst agree on the flying scene. it's impressive. and toothless is cute.

    Five Reasons Why You Should Go See How To Train Your Dragon THIS WEEKEND | /Film 2010

  • The hearing also highlighted partisan differences, as agents raised concerns about existing gun laws one called "toothless."

    Top Brass Cited in Gun Sting Evan Perez 2011

  • Seat the delegates by all means but they must remain toothless – they broke the rules.

    Dean slams media coverage as he opens meeting 2008

  • Wolpert wouldn't have been at all surprised by this, as he makes clear: the gruel of the toothless is an oddly moveable feast, and the older people get, the older they believe "old" to be.

    You're Looking Very Well by Lewis Wolpert – review 2011

  • That would come as some surprise to all of those people who have been criticizing the CPRA as completely toothless, which is just about everybody.

    Archive 2006-06-01 MN Politics Guru 2006

  • For there are some creatures which from birth are without sight, or without teeth, but these are not called toothless or blind.

    Categories 2002

  • For there are some creatures which from birth are without sight, or without teeth, but these are not called toothless or blind.

    Categories 2002

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