Sheathless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Without any protective casing or covering for items, especially knives
2. Being without a protective outer casing or cover that is usually used to safeguard objects like blades
3. Describes something that does not have an external sheath or guard which normally serves to protect it

Etymology: "Sheathless" is a plain compound: the noun "sheath" (a close-fitting cover for a blade, from Old English "scēath," meaning a case or covering) with the suffix "-less," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "without" that thing. So a sheathless blade is one that has no scabbard or cover. The pattern is productive in English, letting speakers describe any object lacking its usual covering on the fly. The word's meaning follows directly from its parts, with nothing hidden in its history beyond the two elements combined.