Where does “trapless” come from?

trapless (English) comes from English trap, from Middle English trappe, from Old English træppe, from Proto-Germanic trap-, from Proto-Indo-European dreb-, from Proto-Indo-European der- — to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to...

trapless (English): Without a trap

Definitions

  1. Without a trap

Ancestry of “trapless”, step by step

trapless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English trap

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtrapA machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body
2Middle Englishtrappetrap
3Old Englishtræppea trap
4Proto-Germanictrap-
5Proto-Indo-Europeandreb-
6Proto-Indo-Europeander-to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to...

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 der-