legless

Everyday

1. Having no legs: a legless lizard. tree →
2. (UK, slang) Very drunk, so drunk that a person cannot stand or walk properly. tree →

In the lessons

In science a «legless lizard» or snakes are legless animals; it helps when sorting animals by body parts. In British and Irish everyday talk «legless» means badly drunk; in stories it shows a grown-up who drank far too much — a warning about alcohol.

Examples

• A snake is a legless reptile. tree →
• The slow-worm is a legless lizard, not a snake. tree →
• Worms are legless, but they still move. tree →
• The old table stood legless in the garden. tree →
• (UK, slang) He got legless at the wedding and had to be taken home. tree →
• (slang) They were completely legless after the party. tree →
• Armless wanted to plunge in straightway, but Legless shrieked, "Wait, brother! tree →

Note

Built from leg + -less («without»). The slang sense is only for adults drinking and is informal. In counting problems a legless animal adds 0 legs to the total.