boneless

Everyday

1. Having no bones, or with the bones taken out, especially of meat or fish. tree →
2. (informal) Weak and floppy, as if without bones. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and cooking, boneless chicken or fish fillets are easy to eat. In science lessons, animals without backbones are invertebrates, and some, like jellyfish and worms, have no bones at all. In playful talk, a child going floppy to avoid being picked up is «boneless».

Examples

• I'd like boneless chicken, please. tree →
• A jellyfish is completely boneless. tree →
• Check the fish is boneless before giving it to the baby. tree →
• The toddler went boneless and wouldn't move. tree →
• Octopuses are boneless so they can squeeze through tiny holes. tree →
• Boneless wings are just chicken pieces. tree →

Note

«-less» means «without». Trap: «boneless wings» are not wings at all, just chicken pieces.