bone

[ bohn ]

/ boʊn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bone ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

one of the structures composing the skeleton of a vertebrate.
the hard connective tissue forming the substance of the skeleton of most vertebrates, composed of a collagen-rich organic matrix impregnated with calcium, phosphate, and other minerals.

such a structure from an edible animal, usually with meat adhering to it, as an article of food: Pea soup should be made with a ham bone.

any of various similarly hard or structural animal substances, as ivory or whalebone.

something made of or resembling such a substance.

a small concession, intended to pacify or quiet; a conciliatory bribe or gift: The administration threw the student protesters a couple of bones, but refused to make any basic changes in the curriculum or requirements.

bones,

the skeleton.
a body: Let his bones rest in peace.
Games Slang. dice.
(initial capital letter) Mr. Bones.
a simple rhythm instrument consisting of two sometimes curved bars or short strips of bone, ivory, wood, or the like, held between the fingers of one hand and clacked together.

the color of bone; ivory or off-white.

a flat strip of whalebone or other material for stiffening corsets, petticoats, etc.; stay.

Games Slang. a domino.

verb (used with object), boned, bon·ing.

to remove the bones from: to bone a turkey.

to put whalebone or another stiffener into (clothing).

Agriculture. to put bone meal into (feed, fertilizer, etc.).

adverb

completely; absolutely: bone tired.

RELATED WORDS

cartilage, ossein

Nearby words

Idioms

bone up, Informal. to study intensely; cram: We're going to have to bone up for the exam.

feel in one's bones, to think or feel intuitively: She felt in her bones that it was going to be a momentous day.

have a bone to pick with someone, to have cause to disagree or argue with someone: The teacher had a bone to pick with him because his homework paper was identical with his neighbor's.

make no bones about,

to deal with in a direct manner; act or speak openly: He makes no bones about his dislike of modern music.
to have no fear of or objection to.

to the bone,

to the essentials; to the minimum: The government cut social service programs to the bone.
to an extreme degree; thoroughly: chilled to the bone.

Origin of bone

before 900; Middle English bo(o)n, Old English bān; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon bēn, Dutch been bone, Old Norse bein bone, leg, German Bein leg (-bein bone, in compounds); < Germanic *bainan (neuter), probably orig. past participle (compare Old Irish benaid (he) hews), meaning “lopped off,” from butchering of animals; orig. in phrase *bainan astan lopped-off bone or branch (hence, “leg,” as a branch of the body); replacing *astan bone < Indo-European *Host- (> Latin os(s), Albanian asht, Avestan ast-, Hittite hast-ai), which fell together in Gmc with *astaz branch (> German Ast) < Indo-European *osdos (> Greek ózos, Armenian ost)

Definition for bone (2 of 2)

Annaba

[ an-nah-buh ]

/ ænˈnɑ bə /

noun

a seaport in NE Algeria: site of Hippo Regius.

Formerly Bône [bohn] /boʊn/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bone

Not long after I was finally diagnosed, my doctor ordered a bone density scan.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, and soon your body will work the piece of bone out of the intestine.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I always thought there was a bone density test or something to be able to get in.
Jon Stewart Talks ‘Rosewater’ and the ‘Chickensh-t’ Democrats’ Midterm Massacre|Marlow Stern|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bone was a highly competent managing editor, and contrived somehow to squeeze us into the tumultuous Post office.
The Stacks: H.L. Mencken on the 1904 Baltimore Fire|H.L. Mencken|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

[1] Bone was an Indianan, and had a long and honorable career in journalism, stretching from 1881 to 1918.
The Stacks: H.L. Mencken on the 1904 Baltimore Fire|H.L. Mencken|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The cancer of the cheek in the parent becomes cancer of the bone in the child.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various
The sound of Blink gnawing her bone beneath the bed alone broke the silence.
The Burning Spear|John Galsworthy
This bone is used for many purposes; among others, it is used in a powdered state as a dentifrice.
The Ocean World:|Louis Figuier
Heifer meat is smaller in the bone and lighter in color than ox beef.
The Story of Crisco|Marion Harris Neil
Makatalungun ka sa bukug nga may lungag sa tungà, You can make a pipe stem out of a bone that has a hole in its center.
A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff

British Dictionary definitions for bone (1 of 3)

bone

/ (bəʊn) /

noun

any of the various structures that make up the skeleton in most vertebrates

the porous rigid tissue of which these parts are made, consisting of a matrix of collagen and inorganic salts, esp calcium phosphate, interspersed with canals and small holesRelated adjectives: osseous, osteal

something consisting of bone or a bonelike substance

(plural) the human skeleton or bodythey laid his bones to rest; come and rest your bones

a thin strip of whalebone, light metal, plastic, etc, used to stiffen corsets and brassieres

(plural) the essentials (esp in the phrase the bare bones)to explain the bones of a situation

(plural) dice

(plural) an informal nickname for a doctor

close to the bone or near the bone

risqué or indecenthis jokes are rather close to the bone
in poverty; destitute

feel in one's bones to have an intuition of

have a bone to pick to have grounds for a quarrel

make no bones about

to be direct and candid about
to have no scruples about

point the bone (often foll by at) Australian

to wish bad luck (on)
to threaten to bring about the downfall (of)

verb (mainly tr)

to remove the bones from (meat for cooking, etc)

to stiffen (a corset, etc) by inserting bones

to fertilize with bone meal

taboo, slang to have sexual intercourse with

British a slang word for steal

Word Origin for bone

Old English bān; related to Old Norse béin, Old Frisian bēn, Old High German bein

British Dictionary definitions for bone (2 of 3)

Bône

/ (French bon) /

noun

a former name of Annaba

British Dictionary definitions for bone (3 of 3)

Annaba

/ (ˈænəbə) /

noun

a port in NE Algeria: site of the Roman city of Hippo Regius. Pop: 382 000 (2005 est)Former name: Bône

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bone (1 of 2)

bone

Old English ban "bone, tusk," from Proto-Germanic *bainam (cf. Old Frisian ben, Old Norse bein, Danish ben, German Bein). No cognates outside Germanic (the common PIE root is *os-; see osseous); the Norse, Dutch, and German cognates also mean "shank of the leg," and this is the main meaning in Modern German, but English never seems to have had this sense.

Word Origin and History for bone (1 of 2)

bone

especially in bone up "study," 1880s student slang, probably from "Bohn's Classical Library," a popular series in higher education published by German-born English publisher Henry George Bohn (1796-1884) as part of a broad series of "libraries" he issued from 1846, totaling 766 volumes, continued after 1864 by G. Bell & Sons.

Medicine definitions for bone

bone

[ bōn ]

n.

The dense, semirigid, porous, calcified connective tissue forming the major portion of the skeleton of most vertebrates, consisting of a dense organic matrix and an inorganic, mineral component.

Any of the more than 200 anatomically distinct structures making up the human skeleton.

A piece of bone.

Science definitions for bone

bone

[ bōn ]

The hard, dense, calcified tissue that forms the skeleton of most vertebrates, consisting of a matrix made up of collagen fibers and mineral salts. There are two main types of bone structure: compact, which is solid and hard, and cancellous, which is spongy in appearance. Bone serves as a framework for the attachment of muscles and protects vital organs, such as the brain, heart, and lungs. See more at osteoblast osteocyte.

Any of the structures made of bone that constitute a skeleton, such as the femur. The human skeleton consists of 206 bones.

Idioms and Phrases with bone

bone

In addition to the idioms beginning with bone

bone of contention
bone to pick, have a
bone up

also see:

bare bones
chilled to the bone
cut to the bone
feel in one's bones
funny bone
make no bones about
pull a boner
roll the bones
skin and bones
work one's fingers to the bone

bone

noun

verb (used with object), boned, bon·ing.

adverb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of bone

Definition for bone (2 of 2)

Annaba

noun

Examples from the Web for bone

British Dictionary definitions for bone (1 of 3)

bone

noun

verb (mainly tr)

Word Origin for bone

British Dictionary definitions for bone (2 of 3)

Bône

noun

British Dictionary definitions for bone (3 of 3)

Annaba

noun

Word Origin and History for bone (1 of 2)

bone

Word Origin and History for bone (1 of 2)

bone

Medicine definitions for bone

bone

n.

Science definitions for bone

bone

Idioms and Phrases with bone

bone