adjective
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resembling or consisting of bone or bones
-
having many bones
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having prominent bones
bony cheeks
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thin or emaciated
a bony old woman
Other Word Forms
- boniness noun
Etymology
Origin of bony
First recorded in 1350–1400, bony is from the Middle English word boni. See bone, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unlike horns or bony plates, they were not solid extensions of bone.
From Science Daily
She was prodding the cheeses with her bony fingers, sniffing them one by one.
From Literature
There was a dry stream that snaked through a clear path of bony trees.
From Literature
In the dim light he looked bony, with a patchy coat.
From Literature
The bony face under the shadow of his hat.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
