skeletal
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skeletal
First recorded in 1850–55; skelet(on) + -al 1
Explanation
Use the adjective skeletal to describe anything that relates to a skeleton or anything without a lot of "flesh," like the skeletal remains of a bird or the skeletal outline of a paper that is missing all the details. If you're a scientist or a doctor, you may use the word skeletal mostly to talk about skeletons, but it also describes someone who is dangerously thin. A skeletal stray dog has probably been living on the streets for a long time. This word is also used figuratively to describe something that has not yet been "fleshed out" — like a skeletal staff or crew that operates without a lot of support. The root of skeletal is the Greek skeleton, "dried-up body, mummy, or skeleton."
Vocabulary lists containing skeletal
STAAR Biology: Biological Processes and Systems
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Organisms and Environments 5: Human Systems
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Novel Study: Inside Out & Back Again, Unpack and Repack–1976: The Year of the Dragon
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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.
Police have launched an investigation after suspected human skeletal remains were found in woodland by the A617 in Nottinghamshire.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
A blood-red tree descends, its skeletal branches and ropy roots suggesting veins and arteries.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Keenan had suffered rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening medical emergency caused by rapid, extensive skeletal muscle breakdown, which can be brought on by extreme exertion.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
Around 95% of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, while smaller amounts are found in the brain, heart and other organs.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
He is clearly wearing shorts, and his bony legs seem almost skeletal while the smooth profile of his face conveys a detached and sad expression.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
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.
