Cheekless

/ˈtʃiːkləs/ adjective

Definition

Without cheeks; lacking cheeks or cheekiness; shameless (archaic).

Etymology

From 'cheek' + '-less' suffix meaning 'without' or 'lacking.' The '-less' suffix comes from Old English '-leas' and is one of the most productive negation suffixes in English.

Kelly Says

This word is quite archaic, but it's fascinating because 'shameless' used to literally mean 'without shame on one's face'—our ancestors believed emotions literally appeared on our faces, so being 'cheekless' (without the cheek to show your face) meant being shameful!

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