Bulbless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Lacking a bulb, such as a plant or light fixture that is missing its bulb-shaped part or its lamp
2. Without any bulb, describing a plant that grows no underground bulb or a lamp socket left empty
3. Missing a bulb entirely, used of a flower stem or an electric fitting that has no lightbulb inserted

Etymology: "Bulbless" is a plain compound: the noun "bulb" with the suffix "-less", meaning "without" or "lacking". A bulb is a plant's underground storage organ, and so "bulbless" describes a plant that lacks one, such as a species that grows from rhizomes, tubers or simple roots instead. The formation follows the same pattern as older English pairs like "hairless" or "leafless", where "-less" has been attached to nouns for centuries to mark an absence.