ownerlessadj.
/ˈəʊnələs/, U.S. /ˈoʊnərləs/ Having no owner; without an owner.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > non-possession > fact of not being possessed or owned > [adjective] > having no owner
vacant1560
unpossessed1582
unowned1611
unoweda1616
unmastered1793
ownerless1806
unattached1888
1806 W. Taylor in Ann. Rev. 4 227 A maroon gypsey-like population of ownerless negroes.
1865 Sat. Rev. 24 June 757/2 Inconveniences arising from ownerless dogs.
1908 A. Preuss Fund. Fallacy Socialism i. 5 The earth or the soil..is ownerless, ‘res nullius’.
1986 Daily Tel. 22 July 17 Because TSB Group is ownerless..all the main money raised will stay within the bank.
2004 H. Strachan Make a Skyf, Man! v. 55 A small ownerless yellow bush dog sits and smiles at us, and waves its curly tail.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1806- up the river
- up the road
- up the spout
- up the stick
- up the straits
- up the wall
- up the wazoo
- up the wind
- up there
- up till
- up to
- up to a bit of no good
- up to a certain point
- up to a point
- up to code
- up to date
- up to dick
- up to eleven
- up to high doh
- up to its bridle
- up to mud
- up to no good
- up to one's armpits
- up to one's armpits in alligators
- up to one's ass