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.
County officials said the skeletal remains were those of Donald P. Smith of North Las Vegas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
The US National Park Service said it received reports of apparent skeletal remains at Boulder Beach on Lake Mead, Nevada, on 16 August.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
"If congenital transmission can occur in non-venereal treponematoses, then we need to rethink how we interpret skeletal evidence in the past," Dr. Vlok explained.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Muscle, specifically the skeletal muscle we build through resistance training, is one of the body’s most metabolically active tissues.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
He perceived her skeletal tension, noted it professionally.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
