真的沒有牙
這一家就是核心畫面本身，說的是真正的嘴巴。
adjective · B2
Having no teeth — used about a person or an animal whose teeth have all come out, or about a baby whose teeth have not grown yet.
沒有牙齒的
核心畫面
A simple picture holds this whole word: a mouth that opens wide and has nothing to bite with. Teeth are the part that grips, tears and hurts. Take them away and the mouth still works — it can open, it can make noise, it can smile — but it cannot close on anything. Both meanings of the word live inside that one image; only the mouth changes.
這個字的畫面可以想成：一張張得很開、卻沒有東西可以咬的嘴。牙齒是用來抓住、咬斷、弄痛人的那一部分。把牙齒拿掉，嘴還是…更多收起
這個字的畫面可以想成：一張張得很開、卻沒有東西可以咬的嘴。牙齒是用來抓住、咬斷、弄痛人的那一部分。把牙齒拿掉，嘴還是能用——能張開、能出聲、能笑——就是合不上任何東西。這個字的兩個意思都住在同一個畫面裡，換的只是那張嘴屬於誰。From the word’s history
Wiktionary traces the word to Old English tōþlēas, tooth plus -less, with the same pattern in Dutch tandeloos, German zahnlos and Danish tandløs. So the word has always said exactly what it looks like it says, which is why the picture is so easy to keep.
字典把這個字追到古英語 tōþlēas，也就是 tooth 加上 -less；荷蘭語 tandeloos、德語 zahnlos、丹麥語 tandløs 都是同一個拼法思路。所以它從一開始就只說了字面上的那件事：沒有牙。正因為這麼直白，那個畫面才這麼好記。
Wiktionary entry for toothless, supplied in this batch's evidence packet: From Middle English tothles, from Old English tōþlēas, equivalent to tooth + -less.
Two branches
咬不下去的力量
把那張沒有牙的嘴放到一個組織或一條規定身上：它還是會出聲，只是咬不動任何人。
adjective · C1
Used about a law, rule, agreement or organization that cannot make anyone obey it, so it has no real effect even though it exists on paper.
形同虛設的