skeleton

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Related to skeleton: skeleton key, skull, boilerplate, skeleton dance

skeleton

top: human skeleton

bottom:architectural skeleton

skel·e·ton

(skĕl′ĭ-tn)

a. The internal structure that protects and supports the soft organs, tissues, and other parts of a vertebrate organism, and is composed of bone and cartilage or, in certain animals, cartilage alone.

b. The hard external structure that supports, protects, or contains the body of many invertebrates, such as mollusks, crustaceans, and corals, and certain vertebrates, such as turtles.

2. A supporting structure or framework, as of a building.

3. An outline or sketch.

4. Something reduced to its basic or minimal parts.

5. One that is very thin or emaciated.

a. A sport in which a person glides down an icy track head-first lying on one's stomach on a compact, simple sled that lacks steering or brakes.

b. The sled used in such a sport.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or resembling a skeleton.

2. Reduced to the basic or minimal parts or members: a skeleton crew.

3. Of or relating to the sport of skeleton.

Idiom:

skeleton in (one's) closet

A source of shame or disgrace, as in a family, that is kept secret.

[Greek skeleton (sōma), dried-up (body), neuter of skeletos, from skellesthai, to dry up.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

skeleton

(ˈskɛlɪtən)

1. (Zoology) 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

2. informal a very thin emaciated person or animal

3. the essential framework of any structure, such as a building or leaf, that supports or determines the shape of the rest of the structure

4. an outline consisting of bare essentials: the skeleton of a novel.

5. (modifier) US and Canadian reduced to a minimum: a skeleton staff.

6. skeleton in the cupboard US and Canadian skeleton in the closet a scandalous fact or event in the past that is kept secret

[C16: via New Latin from Greek: something desiccated, from skellein to dry up]

ˈskeletal adj

ˈskeletally adv

ˈskeleton-ˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

skel•e•ton

(ˈskɛl ɪ tn)

n.

1. the bones of a vertebrate considered as a whole, together forming the internal framework of the body.

2. any of various structures forming a rigid framework in certain invertebrates.

3. an emaciated person or animal.

4. a supporting framework, as of a leaf, building, or ship.

5. an outline, as of a literary work: the skeleton of the plot.

6. something reduced to its essential parts.

adj.

7. of or pertaining to a skeleton.

8. reduced to the essential or minimal parts or numbers: a skeleton staff.

Idioms:

skeleton in the closet or cupboard, any embarrassing, shameful, or damaging secret.

[1570–80; < New Latin < Greek: dried corpse, skeleton, n. use of neuter of skeletós dried up, v. adj. of skéllein to dry]

skel·e·ton

(skĕl′ĭ-tn)

1. 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.

2. A hard protective covering or supporting structure of invertebrate animals. See also endoskeleton, exoskeleton.

skeletal adjective

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

skeleton

The bony framework that protects and supports the body’s soft tissues.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	skeleton - something reduced to its minimal form; "the battalion was a mere skeleton of its former self"; "the bare skeleton of a novel" lower limit, minimum - the smallest possible quantity
	2.	skeleton - a scandal that is kept secret; "there must be a skeleton somewhere in that family's closet" skeleton in the closet, skeleton in the cupboard scandal, outrage - a disgraceful event
	3.	skeleton - the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal skeletal system, systema skeletale, frame system - a group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts; "the body has a system of organs for digestion" musculoskeletal system - the system of muscles and tendons and ligaments and bones and joints and associated tissues that move the body and maintain its form skeletal structure - any structure created by the skeleton of an organism endoskeleton - the internal skeleton; bony and cartilaginous structure (especially of vertebrates) exoskeleton - the exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs
	4.	skeleton - the internal supporting structure that gives an artifact its shape; "the building has a steel skeleton" skeletal frame, underframe, frame aircraft - a vehicle that can fly building, edifice - a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; "there was a three-story building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice" chassis - the skeleton of a motor vehicle consisting of a steel frame supported on springs that holds the body and motor hoop - a light curved skeleton to spread out a skirt ship - a vessel that carries passengers or freight supporting structure - a structure that serves to support something

skeleton

noun

1. bones, bare bones a human skeleton

2. frame, shell, framework, basic structure Only skeletons of buildings remained in the area.

3. plan, structure, frame, draft, outline, framework, sketch, abstract, blueprint, main points a skeleton of policy guidelines

adjective

1. minimum, reduced, minimal, essential Only a skeleton staff remains to see anyone interested around the site.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

skeleton

noun

A preliminary plan or version, as of a written work:

draft, outline, rough, sketch.

Translations

هَيْكَل البِناءهَيْكَل الجِسِمهَيْكَلٌ عَظْمِيّ

esquelet

kostra

skelet

Skelett Gerippe

σκελετός

skeleto

esqueleto armazón

karkass

luurankorunko

squelette charpente

שלד

kosturskelet

csontváz

rangka

beinagrindgrind

scheletro lo scheletro nell'armadio ossatura scheletrico

骨格骸骨

해골

griaučiaiskeletas

skeletsuzmetumskarkassshēma

skeletvel over vleesgeraamte

schelet

kostra

skeletokostje

kosturokostje

skelett

kiunzi cha mifupa

โครงกระดูก

iskelet çatı çerçeve

скелет

bộ xương

框架骨架骨骼骷髅

skeleton

[ˈskelɪtn]

A. N [of person] → esqueleto m; [of building] → armazón f, armadura f; (= structure) → estructura f; [of novel, report] → esquema m, bosquejo m
skeleton in the cupboard → secreto m de familia

B. CPD [service] → mínimo; [outline] → esquemático
skeleton key N → llave f maestra
skeleton staff N with a skeleton staff → con un personal mínimo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

skeleton

[ˈskɛlɪt^ən] n

(ANATOMY) → squelette m
a human skeleton → un squelette humain
to have a skeleton in the cupboard (British) to have a skeleton in the closet → avoir un squelette dans le placard

[building] → structure f

(= basic outline) [plot, article] → schéma mskeleton draft n → canevas mskeleton key n → passe-partout m invskeleton staff n → permanence f, permanents mpl

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

skeleton

n (lit, fig) → Skelett nt; (esp of ship) → Gerippe nt; a skeleton in one’s cupboard (Brit) or closet (US) → ein dunkler Punkt (seiner Vergangenheit); (of public figure) → eine Leiche im Keller

adj plan, outline etc → provisorisch

skeleton

skeleton crew

n → Not- or Minimalbesatzung f

skeleton key

n → Dietrich m

skeleton service

n → Notdienst m

skeleton staff

n → Notbesetzung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

skeleton

[ˈskɛlɪtn]

1. n (of person) → scheletro; (of building) → struttura, ossatura; (of novel, report) → schema m
a walking skeleton (fig) → uno scheletro ambulante
the skeleton at the feast (fig) → il/la guastafeste
skeleton in the cupboard or closet (fig) → scheletro nell'armadio

2. adj (staff, service) → ridotto/a

skeleton

(ˈskelitn) noun

1. the bony framework of an animal or person. The archaeologists dug up the skeleton of a dinosaur.

2. any framework or outline. the steel skeleton of a building.

skeleton key

a key which can open many different locks.

skeleton

→ هَيْكَلٌ عَظْمِيّ kostra skelet Skelett σκελετός esqueleto luuranko squelette kostur scheletro 骨格 해골 skelet skjelett szkielet esqueleto скелет skelett โครงกระดูก iskelet bộ xương 骷髅

skel·e·ton

n. esqueleto, armazón ósea del cuerpo.

skeleton

n esqueleto

References in classic literature ?

He had sold the skeleton to a traveling quack for three dollars and was enjoying the result!

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Myra, pointing to the skeleton that hung from the chandelier cheerfully grinning at all beholders.

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The skeleton of even the most lawless despot makes a good constitutional sovereign."

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Perhaps the skeleton in the cupboard comes out to be talked to, on such domestic occasions?

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But it may be fancied, that from the naked skeleton of the stranded whale, accurate hints may be derived touching his true form.

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"Come, he's amusing, anyway, your skeleton, and not depressing," said Dolly, smiling.

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I know it must be a skeleton, I am sure it is Laurentina's skeleton.

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"Maybe you think a nice live little boy wouldn't be better than that old dead skeleton you keep somewhere; but I think it would!"

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It was his skeleton. I did not recognize it by the ugliness of the head, for all men are ugly when they have been dead as long as that, but by the plain gold ring which he wore and which Christine Daae had certainly slipped on his finger, when she came to bury him in accordance with her promise.

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As he spoke, Death, a grisly skeleton, appeared and said to him: "What wouldst thou, Mortal?

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And let no man doubt this Arkite story; for in the ancient Joppa, now Jaffa, on the Syrian coast, in one of the Pagan temples, there stood for many ages the vast skeleton of a whale, which the city's legends and all the inhabitants asserted to be the identical bones of the monster that Perseus slew.

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Everything's been gathered up, and they're taking the skeleton to the Rainbow.

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