English Explanatory Dictionary

skeleton

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
  2. An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.
  3. A very thin person.
  4. The central core of something that gives shape to the entire structure.
  5. A frame that provides support to a building or other construction.
  6. A client-helper procedure that communicates with a stub.
  7. The vertices and edges of a polyhedron, taken collectively.
  8. A full subcategory of another category, consisting of one object from each isomorphism class in the original.
  9. A very thin form of light-faced type.
  10. A minimum or bare essentials.
  11. The network of veins in a leaf.
  12. Clipping of skeleton in the closet (“a shameful secret”).
verb
  1. To reduce to a skeleton; to skin; to skeletonize.
  2. To minimize.
noun
  1. A type of tobogganing in which competitors lie face down, and descend head first.
  2. The form of toboggan used in this sport.

Pronunciation

/ˈskɛlɪtən/ skĕˈ -lə-tən skĕˈ -lət-n /ˈskɛlətən/ [ˈskɛləʔn̩] En-us-skeleton.ogg

Word forms

skeleton skeletons skeleta sceleton skeletoning skeletoned

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”).

Synonyms

ottomy skellington skeleton backbone skeleton tobogganing skeleton sliding

Related words

:Category:Skeleton bone

Derived words

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 Clique skeleton clock skeleton crew skeletoneer skeleton flower 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 slider skeleton staff skeleton suit skeleton watch skeletony skelly visceral skeleton walking skeleton zonoskeleton
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