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riderless

riderless

1 4.6
An animal or vehicle that has no person on it
  • adjective
  • /ˈraɪdərləs/
translation icon : sin jinete
  • There were six riders, and one horse was riderless.
  • riderless horse

Examples

  • Two riderless horses tore uphill.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The final photograph in the book, for example, is of four riderless horses.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The riderless horse stands lonely against the Washington sky.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I turned around and saw a riderless horse in full gallop coming toward us.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • A riderless horse, another distinction of the soldier's rank, follows behind.

    Blog text (20)
  • Will glances back - he sees Drak's riderless horse.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The carousel made a complete revolution, and as it came around, I saw that Faye's horse was riderless.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • One riderless horse led by Comanche Tom pulls up by the scaffold.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Casimir followed his gaze, seeing the riderless horses wandering the brink of the forest.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I turned around and saw a riderless horse in full gallop coming toward us.

Synonyms

unmanned
vsriderless
  • Specialized
39 5.1

Operates without a person on board

focuses specifically on absence of a single person riding or controlling an animal or vehicle
pilotless
vsriderless
  • Specialized
2 6.5

A vehicle with no person on board to control it, like a plane or spaceship

is used when no one sits on or controls an animal or vehicle
driverless
vsriderless
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A vehicle that moves without a person controlling it, like a car or bus

is used when no one sits on or controls an animal or vehicle
unmounted
vsriderless
5.0

Not on horseback and walking on foot

is used when no one sits on or controls an animal or vehicle
manless
vsriderless
  • Specialized
6.1

Working without people on board and controlled from far away

refers more narrowly to absence of a person sitting on or controlling an animal or vehicle
crewless
vsriderless
6.0

Having no people on board to operate a ship or plane

is narrower, meaning no person is sitting on or directly controlling an animal or vehicle

How Occupied

manned
9 3.8
riderless
1 4.6
unmanned
  • Specialized
39 5.1

Surface Forms

riderless positive

Morphology

riderless = rider (transparent) = rider + less

The adjective is a straightforward formation from the noun 'rider' plus the productive suffix '-less', meaning 'without a rider'.

Etymology

Riderless comes from two simple parts: rider, a person who rides, and less, which means 'without', as in homeless or careless. So imagine an empty saddle or a bicycle rolling with no one on it, because riderless means 'without a rider' and is used for animals or vehicles that have no person controlling them.