skeleton
noun /ˈskelɪtn/
/ˈskelɪtn/
Idioms - [countable] the structure of bones that supports the body of a person or an animal; a model of this structure
enlarge image- The human skeleton consists of 206 bones.
- a dinosaur skeleton
- Researchers have found a partial skeleton of an undiscovered species.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- dinosaur
- fish
- human
- …
- form
- discover
- find
- …
- belong
- [countable] (informal) a very thin person or animal
- The disease has reduced her to a skeleton.
- [countable, usually singular] the main structure that supports a building, etc. synonym framework
- Only the concrete skeleton of the factory remained.
- [countable, usually singular] the basic outline of a plan, piece of writing, etc. to which more details can be added later
- Examples were used to flesh out the skeleton of the argument.
- [singular] skeleton staff, crew, etc. the smallest number of people, etc. that you need to do something
- There will only be a skeleton staff on duty over the holiday.
- We managed to operate a skeleton bus service during the strike.
- [countable] (sport) a type of sledge (= a vehicle for sliding over ice) for racing, used by one person lying on their front with their feet pointing backwards
- It’s just like the skeletons they use in the Olympics.
- The skeleton slider broke his back in the race.
- [uncountable] the sport or event of racing down a special track of ice on a skeleton (6)
- Canada won gold and silver in the skeleton.
- Skeleton returned to the Winter Olympics in 2002.
- skeleton events at the Winter Olympics
Word Originlate 16th cent.: modern Latin, from Greek, neuter of skeletos ‘dried up’, from skellein ‘dry up’.
Idioms
a skeleton in the cupboard (British English)
(also a skeleton in the closet North American English, British English)
- (informal) something shocking, embarrassing, etc. that has happened to you or your family in the past that you want to keep secret