Wingless

Describing something lacking wings. This can refer to animals, insects, or even metaphorical concepts. The absence of wings implies an inability to fly or glide in the air naturally. Often, it suggests a grounded existence or a reliance on alternative methods of locomotion, such as walking, crawling, or swimming. The term can be applied to a wide range of creatures, from certain types of ants and beetles to flightless birds like penguins and ostriches. The implications of being wingless can range from an evolutionary adaptation to a physical limitation, depending on the context.

Wingless meaning with examples

• The tiny, wingless ants marched diligently across the forest floor, their tiny bodies carrying burdens far exceeding their size. They are unable to escape predators from the air, unlike their winged counterparts that can fly away. Their social structure and ground-based foraging strategies compensate for their lack of aerial mobility and flight capabilities.
• The kiwi, a wingless bird endemic to New Zealand, has adapted to a terrestrial lifestyle. Its strong legs and beak make it well suited for foraging in the forest undergrowth, and its fluffy feathers provide insulation. It is not able to fly despite once having winged ancestors. These unique features demonstrate evolutionary adaptation.
• A significant portion of the insect population are wingless during portions of their life cycles, or permanently wingless as adults. Certain beetle species are adapted to a subterranean lifestyle, with their wingless bodies able to navigate tight spaces. These types of insects focus on crawling to get around and are rarely seen high in the sky.
• The sculptor created a bronze statue of a wingless Pegasus, a powerful symbol representing a creative force that is earthbound. It was meant to portray an idea of grounded potential that must find strength in its core strength rather than the fleeting nature of flight, showing that power comes from a variety of sources.