bony

[ boh-nee ]

/ ˈboʊ ni /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bony ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, bon·i·er, bon·i·est.

of or like bone.

full of bones.

having prominent bones; big-boned.

skinny; emaciated.

Nearby words

Origin of bony

First recorded in 1350–1400, bony is from the Middle English word boni. See bone, -y¹

Related formsbon·i·ness, noun

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

Examples from the Web for bony

And lest we think models are just bony arms and pretty faces, they frequently assure us that they are really, truly intelligent.
Miranda Kerr & Karlie Kloss Suffer From Model Denial|Lizzie Crocker|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A pair of giant, bony fish—one 18 feet long—have washed up on California beaches this week.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?|Kevin Bailey|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It reminded him of the man who had a poor old lean, bony, spavined horse, with swelled legs.
Did Abraham Lincoln Actually Say That Obama Quote?|James M. Cornelius|September 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Some were explicit, with messages written on them like that bony girl in the T-shirt.
Pro-Anorexia, Thinspirational Images on Pinterest: Threat of Self-Harm|Isabel Wilkinson|April 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST

He may not be gregarious but Petraeus wields a bony and ascetic charm which he combines with practical intelligence.
Petraeus, a Master of Spin|Ellen Knickmeyer|June 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Behind him straggled a bunch of bony cattle and some horses, herded by a girl and a small boy.
The Eagle's Heart|Hamlin Garland
I asked Meusnier if he knew any tall, bony old woman, and he sent me two, neither of whom suited me.
My Double Life|Sarah Bernhardt
His nose was thin and bony, with a high arch, and sharp at the end, like the beak of a bird.
Shaman|Robert Shea
The rattle is situated at the end of the tail, and consists of several hard, dry, bony processes.
The Desert World|Arthur Mangin
She stopped her horse, and beckoned Eric over to her with the knobby handle of a faded and bony umbrella.
Kilmeny of the Orchard|Lucy Maud Montgomery

British Dictionary definitions for bony

bony

/ (ˈbəʊnɪ) /

adjective bonier or boniest

resembling or consisting of bone or bones

having many bones

having prominent bonesbony cheeks

thin or emaciateda bony old woman

Derived Formsboniness, noun

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 bony

bony

adj.

late 14c., from bone (n.) + -y (2).

Medicine definitions for bony

bony

adj.

Of, relating to, resembling, or consisting of bone.

Having an internal skeleton of bones.

Having prominent or protruding bones.

Lean; scrawny.

bony

adjective, bon·i·er, bon·i·est.

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of bony

Examples from the Web for bony

bony

adjective bonier or boniest

bony

bony

adj.