Crossword clues for fruitless
fruitless
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fruitless \Fruit"less\, a.
Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of offspring; as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless marriage.
--Shak.-
Productive of no advantage or good effect; vain; idle; useless; unprofitable; as, a fruitless attempt; a fruitless controversy.
They in mutual accusation spent The fruitless hours.
--Milton.Syn: Useless; barren; unprofitable; abortive; ineffectual; vain; idle; profitless. See Useless. -- Fruit"less*ly, adv. -- Fruit"lness*ness, n.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
mid-14c., "unprofitable," from fruit + -less. Meaning "barren, sterile" is from 1510s. Related: Fruitlessly; fruitlessness.
Wiktionary
a. Useless; unproductive.
WordNet
adj. unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt" [syn: bootless, futile, sleeveless, vain]
Wikipedia
The fruitless gene (fru) is a Drosophila melanogaster gene that encodes several variants of a putative transcription factor protein. Normal fruitless function is required for proper development of several anatomical structures necessary for courtship, including motor neurons which innervate muscles needed for fly sexual behaviors. The gene does not have an obvious mammalian homolog, but appears to function in sex determination in species as distant as the mosquito Anopheles gambiae.
fruitless serves as an example of how a gene or a group of genes may regulate the development and/or function of neurons involved in innate behavior. Research on fruitless has received attention in the popular press, since it provokes discussion on genetics of human sexual orientation, and behaviors such as gender-specific aggression.
Usage examples of "fruitless".
Palestine would be fruitless and unavailing, and that the acquisition of Constantinople must precede and prepare the recovery of Jerusalem.
All efforts to put the engine and car back on the track were fruitless, and a messenger was sent back to Ancon to telegraph to Lima for an extra engine to assist in righting the little train.
But it was asphyxia, it was immediate death, if the result of this last attempt should prove fruitless.
After a minute of fruitless searching, she told herself the animal had probably been a caiman, or one of a hundred large species of fish that inhabited the rivers of the Amazon, but least likely an anaconda.
The skipper of the coper had, in the meanwhile, by tacking, made an effort to keep his stolen boat in sight, but the night was dark, and the fear of a collision with a trawler made his endeavour a fruitless one, and he was compelled to lay to until daybreak would give him an opportunity of renewing his search.
The syndic, like a careful man, drew a packet of fine French letters from his pocket, and delivered a long eulogium on this admirable preservative from an accident which might give rise to a terrible and fruitless repentance.
Images of Vittoria and the Hassassin started to swirl hauntingly as Langdon clambered his way around the fountain, the frustration mounting as he frantically completed yet another fruitless circle.
After a fruitless inquiry, the prisoner was discharged from her confinement, and turned out of the service of the Count, in whose private opinion the character of no person suffered so much, as that of his own son, whom he suspected of having embezzled the jewels, for the use of a certain inamorata, who, at that time, was said to have captivated his affections.
When he had finally plodded into Padang, ninety minutes ago, after a fruitless search along the river bank for Dickens, he had felt half-dead.
Here was a woman who understood Phage without hours of fruitless discussion.
Faith filled the daylight hours with work, cleaning her bedroom and the rooms on the first floor, in a fruitless effort to hold her increasing concern for Pres at bay.
He leaned over the unordered drink, which had been deposited in front of him as a fruitless attempt at ingratiation.
We do not consider that apperception spares us the trouble of examining ever anew and in small detail all the objects and phenomena that present themselves to us, so as to get their meaning, or that it thus prevents our mental power from scattering and from being worn out with wearisome, fruitless detail labors.
He twisted round in his chair and watched Martyn as she made a fruitless search of his overcoat pockets.
Dismissing the fruitless anger, she thought back over what the report had said about the power outage being responsible for the collapse.