
好词典

源自中古英语 'totheles',由 'tooth'(牙齿)加否定后缀 '-less' 构成,字面意为'没有牙齿的'。
❶ 指没有牙齿的状态,常用于描述人或动物因年龄、疾病等原因失去牙齿。也可比喻事物缺乏效力或威慑力。
“The old man smiled with a toothless grin.”
(老人咧嘴一笑,露出没有牙齿的牙龈。)
“After the surgery, the dog became completely toothless.”
(手术后,这只狗完全失去了牙齿。)
toothless wonder — 幽默说法,指没有牙齿却依然活泼的人或动物,常带有调侃或亲昵意味。
“My grandma calls her old cat a toothless wonder because he still hunts mice.”
(我奶奶管她的老猫叫'无牙奇才',因为它仍会抓老鼠。)