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skeleton
[skel-i-tn]
noun
Anatomy, Zoology.the bones of a human or an animal considered as a whole, together forming the framework of the body.
any of various structures forming a rigid framework in an invertebrate.
an emaciated person or animal.
a supporting framework, as of a leaf, building, or ship.
an outline, as of a literary work.
the skeleton of the plot.
something reduced to its essential parts.
adjective
of or relating to a skeleton.
like or being a mere framework; reduced to the essential or minimal parts or numbers.
a skeleton staff.
skeleton
/ ˈɛɪə /
noun
a hard framework consisting of inorganic material that supports and protects the soft parts of an animal's body and provides attachment for muscles: may be internal (an endoskeleton), as in vertebrates, or external( an exoskeleton), as in arthropods See also endoskeleton exoskeleton
informala very thin emaciated person or animal
the essential framework of any structure, such as a building or leaf, that supports or determines the shape of the rest of the structure
an outline consisting of bare essentials
the skeleton of a novel
(modifier) reduced to a minimum
a skeleton staff
a scandalous fact or event in the past that is kept secret
skeleton
The internal structure of vertebrate animals, composed of bone or cartilage, that supports the body, serves as a framework for the attachment of muscles, and protects the vital organs and associated structures.
A hard protective covering or supporting structure of invertebrate animals.
See also endoskeleton exoskeleton
Other 51Թ Forms
- skeletonless adjective
- skeletonlike adjective
- ˈٴDz-ˌ adjective
- ˈٲ adjective
- ˈٲly adverb
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of skeleton1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of skeleton1
Idioms and Phrases
skeleton in the closet / cupboard,
a family scandal that is concealed to avoid public disgrace.
any embarrassing, shameful, or damaging secret.
skeleton at the feast, a person or thing that casts gloom over a joyful occasion; a note or reminder of sorrow in the midst of joy.
Example Sentences
The two partial skeletons that the team examined in this study were first discovered in Mongolia back in the early 1970s.
On a recent visit to a facility treating malnourished children younger than 5, she said she saw kids who were “walking skeletons like I haven’t seen in a decade.”
Beyond right field, the towering skeleton of USC’s Bloom Football Performance Center takes shape in the distance.
A 1,000 year-old human skeleton which was buried sitting cross-legged in India has been moved to a museum six years after it was excavated.
As hunger overtakes Pi and Richard Parker, the tiger’s skeleton starts to call attention to itself.
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Related 51Թs
When To Use
Skeleton is a sport in which an individual racer rides a small, railed sled headfirst down an ice-covered chute with the goal of reaching the finish line as quickly as possible. The sled itself is also called a skeleton.The sport is sometimes also called skeleton sledding. The sled is sometimes called a skeleton bobsled or skeleton bobsleigh. Racers steer by making slight shifts in their body position. To slow down, racers can drag a foot on the ice.Skeleton is known as one of the sliding sports, along with luge and bobsleigh (also called bobsled), which take place on a similar course. In skeleton, racers ride on their stomachs, in contrast with luge, in which racers lie on their backs.Skeleton is an event in the Winter Olympics.Due to the vulnerable position of the athletes and the extremely high speeds they can reach—over 80 mph (129 km/h)—skeleton is considered one of the most dangerous winter sports.Example: Skeleton seems very similar to luge, but the strategies used in each sport are actually quite different.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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