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• bone
  bone
• Bône
  Bône

  noun

  a former name of Annaba

bone

American  

[bohn] / boʊn /

noun

• bones
  plural

1. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. one of the structures composing the skeleton of a vertebrate.

   2. 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.

2. 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.

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

4. something made of or resembling such a substance.

5. 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.

6. bones,

   1. the skeleton.

   2. a body.

      Let his bones rest in peace.

   3. Games Slang. dice.

   4. (initial capital letter) Mr. Bones.

   5. 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.

7. the color of bone; ivory or off-white.

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

9. Games Slang. a domino.

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verb (used with object)

• bones,
  present (3rd person singular)
• boned,
  past participle,  past
• boning
  present participle

1. to remove the bones from.

   to bone a turkey.

2. to put whalebone or another stiffener into (clothing).

3. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.

   He was boning his best friend's wife!

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

adverb

1. completely; absolutely.

   bone tired.

idioms

1. make no bones about,

   1. to deal with in a direct manner; act or speak openly.

      He makes no bones about his dislike of modern music.

   2. to have no fear of or objection to.

2. 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.

3. bone up, to study intensely; cram.

   We're going to have to bone up for the exam.

4. feel in one's bones, to think or feel intuitively.

   She felt in her bones that it was going to be a momentous day.

5. to the bone,

   1. to the essentials; to the minimum.

      The government cut social service programs to the bone.

   2. to an extreme degree; thoroughly.

      chilled to the bone.

Bône ¹ British  

/ bon /

noun

1. a former name of Annaba

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bone ² British  

/ bəʊn /

noun

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

2. 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 holes

3. something consisting of bone or a bonelike substance

4. (plural) the human skeleton or body

   they laid his bones to rest

   come and rest your bones

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

6. (plural) the essentials (esp in the phrase the bare bones )

   to explain the bones of a situation

7. (plural) dice

8. (plural) an informal nickname for a doctor

9. 1. risqué or indecent

      his jokes are rather close to the bone

   2. in poverty; destitute

10. to have an intuition of

11. to have grounds for a quarrel

12. 1. to be direct and candid about

    2. to have no scruples about

13. (often foll by at)

    1. to wish bad luck (on)

    2. to threaten to bring about the downfall (of)

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verb

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

2. to stiffen (a corset, etc) by inserting bones

3. to fertilize with bone meal

4. taboo to have sexual intercourse with

5. a slang word for steal

bone Scientific  

/ bōn /

1. 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.

2. See more at osteoblast osteocyte

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

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bone More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bone

• 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• boneless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bones
  plural

Participles

• boning
  present
• boned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bone
  simple
• bones
  simple
• have boned
  perfect
• has boned
  perfect
• am boning
  progressive
• are boning
  progressive
• is boning
  progressive
• have been boning
  perfect progressive
• has been boning
  perfect progressive

Past

• boned
  simple
• had boned
  perfect
• was boning
  progressive
• were boning
  progressive
• had been boning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bone
  simple
• will have boned
  perfect
• will be boning
  progressive
• will have been boning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bone

First recorded 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”; from Germanic bainam

Explanation

A bone is a single section of a skeleton, made of very hard tissue. Adult human bodies have 206 bones. Your skeleton, which forms the structure of your body, is made up of many different bones, from the tiny bones in your fingers and toes to the largest bone, the femur, or thigh bone. All vertebrates, or animals with spines, have bones — your dog may enjoy gnawing on a bone that originally came from a cow, for example. Informally, when you "bone up on something," you study it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bone bones boned boning

Since injuring his shoulder at the US Open in August, Draper has struggled with bone bruising and pulled out of scheduled comebacks at Wimbledon and the Washington Open this summer.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Over the following weeks, investigators examined an exposed bone found by a hiker 10 miles from the Guthrie house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

In these cases, doctors may diagnose cancer largely by examining the appearance of cells in the bone marrow.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Then days after being activated in early May, he landed on the IL again, after aggravating a bone spur in his left foot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

Josie frowned, noticing the broken section of Lola’s face, the way she had metal framework instead of bone under her cheeks.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

He revealed that the "cancer has spread, metastasised into his bones and further. It's very painful" and "very debilitating".

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

To identify the spadefoot toad, Cruz said he examined the bones of amphibians found at the Tar Pits, a collection that hadn’t been analyzed in nearly 30 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

In an earlier statement, McConnell claimed he didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Before them stood 112 coffins containing bones and fragments of victims from the Abu Sharia and al-Hasayna families, two branches of the same Bedouin clan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Barnum's "mermaid" is a total fake, a counterfeit fossil pasted together from bones, withered skins, and who knows what else.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Zeigen, who wears his hair shorn tight to his head, emphasizing his finely boned face and huge brown eyes, began by describing his mother.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2024

“I’m almost 6-feet-tall and big boned, we’ll call it. I don’t look like the people you see on TV,” she said.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2023

Spencer’s Victorian-inspired gown was made with intricate floral lace and has long slightly-puffed sleeves, boned corset, high collar and several buttons.

From Fox News ● Jul. 25, 2021

Fiona said she boned up for the task by watching “one YouTube video that we didn’t even finish. We watched the first five minutes.”

From Washington Times ● Mar. 30, 2020

She was small boned to begin with but seemed to be starving herself, and she wanted everybody to know it with her skinny jeans and tight T-shirts.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Per the film, this is a natural consequence of not boning up on your “Emily Post.”

From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2023

Long story short, it’s probably time for every American to start boning up on this stuff just in case they find themselves in a conversation with Hugh Hewitt.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2023

Della Donna started boning up on criminal law, talking to every criminal attorney she could find and eventually turning to UCI Law School.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023

“We like ones by Dominique because of their boning and support. We often stitch the corset inside the gown to ensure it won’t peek out, as well as make the bride feel more comfortable.”

From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2021

Three other cooks were boning fish, while a spit boy turned a boar over the flames.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• cartilage