skeleton
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈskɛlɪtn/
enpr: skĕˈ -lə-tən
enpr: skĕˈ -lət-n
ipa: /ˈskɛlətən/
ipa: [ˈskɛləʔn̩]
rhymes: -ɛlətən
Forms: form: skeletons
form: skeleta
form: sceleton
Etymology: From New Latin sceleton, from Ancient Greek σκελετόν (skeletón), the neuter of σκελετός (skeletós, “dried up, withered, dried body, parched, mummy”), from σκέλλω (skéllō, “dry, dry up, make dry, parch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, wither”); compare Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”).
Senses: examples: text: At the foot of a pretty big pine, and involved in a green creeper, which had even partly lifted some of the smaller bones, a human skeleton lay, with a few shreds of clothing, on the ground.
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Treasure Hunt—Flint’s Pointer”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 263:
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
examples: text: She dressed up as a skeleton for Halloween.
text: A Day or two after they parted, [Francis] Spriggs was choſe Captain by the reſt, and a black Enſign was made, which they called Jolly Roger, with the ſame Device that Captain [Edward] Low carried, viz. a white Skeliton in the Middle of it, with a Dart in one Hand ſtriking a bleeding Heart, and in the other, an Hour Glaſs; when this was finiſhed and hoiſted, they fired all their Guns to ſalute their Captain and themſelves, and then looked out for Prey.
ref: 1724, Charles Johnson [pseudonym], “Of Captain Spriggs and His Crew”, in A General History of the Pyrates, […], 2nd edition, London: Printed for, and sold by T. Warner, […], →OCLC, pages 411–412:
glosses: An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.
examples: text: She lost so much weight while she was ill that she became a skeleton.
glosses: A very thin person.
examples: text: The skeleton of the organisation is essentially the same as it was ten years ago, but many new faces have come and gone.
glosses: The central core of something that gives shape to the entire structure.
topics: architecture
glosses: A frame that provides support to a building or other construction.
examples: text: In remote method invocation, the client helper is a ‘stub’ and the service helper is a ‘skeleton’.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
coordinate_terms: stub
glosses: A client-helper procedure that communicates with a stub.
topics: geometry
mathematics
sciences
glosses: The vertices and edges of a polyhedron, taken collectively.
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: A very thin form of light-faced type.
examples: text: At the time of writing the halts have been reprieved due to doubts as to the legality of the withdrawal of services. It is feared that this reprieve may not outlast the summer timetable which, on the section in question, provides only a skeleton of the former service.
ref: 1960 August, L. Hyland, “The Irish Scene”, in Trains Illustrated, page 468:
text: The rail industry has survived the first fortnight of the UK's COVID-19 crisis. Quick intervention from the Department of Transport has ensured that franchise operators will remain solvent during this period; rapid work to replan the timetable has delivered a minimum viable service plan; and the Kitchener-esque appeal for retired signal workers should ensure that the network can continue to operate a skeleton service.
ref: 2020 April 8, Matt Lovering, “An opportunity for the rail industry to deliver major change”, in Rail, page 46:
glosses: A minimum or bare essentials.
examples: text: However interesting the skeleton of a leaf that has been bleached by nature may be, it cannot be alleged to be beautiful in colour, and therefore it is not of much value for the purposes of household decoration.
ref: 1870, Robert Kemp Philp, Best of everything, by the author of 'Enquire within'., page 336:
text: Rather than abstracting the leaf from the outline of the leaf, I can begin by working from the skeleton of the leaf.
ref: 2010, Ruth B. McDowell, Piecing: Expanding The Basics:
text: This is going to get rid of all the green leafy debris sticking to the skeleton of the leaf and you are going to find a really attractive fiber network of your leaf.
ref: 2016, Dueep Jyot Singh, John Davidson, Mendon Cottage Books, Skeleton Leaves - Preserving Leaves for Everlasting Beauty, page 10:
topics: biology
botany
natural-sciences
glosses: The network of veins in a leaf.
glosses: Clipping of skeleton in the closet (“a shameful secret”).
Synonyms: topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
word: ottomy
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
word: skellington
sense: very thin person
word: thin person
sense: central core giving shape to something
word: backbone
word: skeleton
Meronyms: word: bone
word: skull
word: backbone
word: rib cage
word: pelvis
word: thighbone
word: femur
Derived terms: articulated skeleton
autoskeleton
carboskeleton
choanoskeleton
chondroskeleton
cilioskeleton
cytoskeleton
dermatoskeleton
dermoskeleton
endoskeleton
exoskeleton
fibroskeleton
hydroskeleton
hydrostatic skeleton
neuroskeleton
nucleoskeleton
skeletal
skeletally
skeletogenous
skeleton at the feast
skeleton bill
skeleton clock
skeleton crew
skeletoneer
skeletonic
skeleton in one's closet
skeleton in one's cupboard
skeleton in one's house
skeleton in the closet
skeleton in the cupboard
skeleton in the house
skeletonisation
skeletonization
skeleton key
skeleton leaf
skeletonless
skeletonlike
skeleton programming
skeleton proof
skeleton regiment
skeleton screen
skeleton shrimp
skeleton staff
skeleton suit
skeleton watch
skeletony
skelly
visceral skeleton
walking skeleton
zonoskeleton
Related terms: word: :Category:Skeleton