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-less

an adjective suffix meaning “without” (childless; peerless), and in adjectives derived from verbs, indicating failure or inability to perform or be performed (resistless; tireless).

Origin:
ME -les, OE -lēas, special use of lēas free from, without, false; c. ON lauss, G los, loose

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Language Translation for : -less

Spanish:

menos,

German:

weniger,

Japanese:

～より少ない

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-less
suff.

Without; lacking: blameless.
Unable to act or be acted on in a specified way: dauntless.

[Middle English -lesse, from Old English -lēas, from lēas, without; see leu- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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-less

the suffix meaning "lacking" is from O.E. -leas, from leas "free (from), devoid (of), false, feigned," from P.Gmc. *lausaz (cf. Du. -loos, Ger. -los "less," O.N. lauss "loose, free, vacant, dissolute," M.Du. los, Ger. los "loose, free," Goth. laus "empty, vain"). Related to loose and lease.

-less

Leas"ing\, n. [AS. le['a]sung, fr. le['a]s loose, false, deceitful. See -less, Loose, a.] The act of lying; falsehood; a lie or lies. [Archaic] --Spenser.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing. --Ps. v. 6.

Blessed be the lips that such a leasing told. --Fairfax.

Leasing making (Scots Law), the uttering of lies or libels upon the personal character of the sovereign, his court, or his family. --Bp. Burnet.

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