| / English Dictionary |
SKELETON
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The internal supporting structure that gives an artifact its shape
Example:
the building has a steel skeleton
Synonyms:
frame; skeletal frame; skeleton; underframe
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("skeleton" is a kind of...):
supporting structure (a structure that serves to support something)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "skeleton"):
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)
Holonyms ("skeleton" is a part of...):
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)
ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal
Synonyms:
frame; skeletal system; skeleton; systema skeletale
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("skeleton" is a kind of...):
system (a group of physiologically or anatomically related organs or parts)
Meronyms (parts of "skeleton"):
skeletal structure (any structure created by the skeleton of an organism)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "skeleton"):
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)
Holonyms ("skeleton" is a part of...):
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)
Derivation:
skeletal (of or relating to or forming or attached to a skeleton)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A scandal that is kept secret
Example:
there must be a skeleton somewhere in that family's closet
Synonyms:
skeleton; skeleton in the closet; skeleton in the cupboard
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("skeleton" is a kind of...):
outrage; scandal (a disgraceful event)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Something reduced to its minimal form
Example:
the bare skeleton of a novel
Classified under:
Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure
Hypernyms ("skeleton" is a kind of...):
lower limit; minimum (the smallest possible quantity)
Context examples:
People with Fanconi anemia may have a small skeleton and brown spots on the skin.
(Fanconi anemia, NCI Dictionary)
Outside of or excluding the skeleton.
(Extraskeletal, NCI Thesaurus)
Any of the five bones between the wrist and the fingers that form the skeleton of the palm.
(Metacarpal Bone, NCI Thesaurus)
In 12 of these skeletons, they found enough of the HBV genome to perform detailed analyses - the oldest of which was 4,500-years-old.
(Oldest genetic evidence of Hepatitis B virus found in ancient DNA from 4,500 year-old skeletons, University of Cambridge)
The snake skeleton itself, though missing a head, is about 1.9 inches long (47.5 mm).
(Cretaceous baby snake fossil found in Myanmar, Wikinews)
The disease might affect one or several bones, but not your entire skeleton.
(Paget's Disease of Bone, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Innate Bone Remodeling takes place in the adult skeleton at discrete foci.
(Innate Bone Remodeling, NCI Thesaurus)
No wonder we found that poor Yankee's skeleton with the canes growin' between his ribs.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
After confirming that the neuromuscular tissue was compatible with their synthetic biobot skeletons, the teams worked to optimize the swimmers' abilities.
(Researchers build microscopic biohybrid robots propelled by muscles, nerves, National Science Foundation)
More specifically, such compounds could be used for pharmaceutical purposes, acting directly on the skeleton among achondroplasia sufferers.
(Scientists identify bioactive compounds in cacao pods to develop drugs to combat skeletal disorders, University of Granada)
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