Where does “screwless” come from?

screwless (English) comes from English screw, from Middle English screw, from Old French escroue, from Latin scrofa, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

screwless (English): Without screws the mechanical fasteners; possessing no screws

Definitions

  1. Without screws the mechanical fasteners; possessing no screws

Ancestry of “screwless”, step by step

screwless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English screw

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscrewA device that has a helical function; The motion...
2Middle Englishscrew
3Old Frenchescrouenut, cylindrical socket, screwhole; scroll, strip...
4Latinscrofasow
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kerbʰ-to scratch, scrape
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

via English less

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlessTo a smaller extent or degree; comparative form...
2Middle Englishlesfalse; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie
3Old Englishlēasfalse, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose...
4Proto-Germanic*laus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerbʰ-