skeleton

American  

[skel-i-tn] / ˈskɛl ɪ tn /

noun

• skeletons
  plural

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the bones of a human or an animal considered as a whole, together forming the framework of the body.

2. any of various structures forming a rigid framework in an invertebrate.

3. an emaciated person or animal.

4. a supporting framework, as of a leaf, building, or ship.

5. an outline, as of a literary work.

   the skeleton of the plot.

6. something reduced to its essential parts.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a skeleton.

2. like or being a mere framework; reduced to the essential or minimal parts or numbers.

   a skeleton staff.

idioms

1. skeleton in the closet / cupboard,

   1. a family scandal that is concealed to avoid public disgrace.

   2. any embarrassing, shameful, or damaging secret.

2. skeleton at the feast, a person or thing that casts gloom over a joyful occasion; a note or reminder of sorrow in the midst of joy.

skeleton British  

/ ˈskɛlɪtən /

noun

1. a hard framework consisting of inorganic material that supports and protects the soft parts of an animal's body and provides attachment for muscles: may be internal (an endoskeleton), as in vertebrates, or external( an exoskeleton), as in arthropods See also endoskeleton exoskeleton

2. informal a very thin emaciated person or animal

3. the essential framework of any structure, such as a building or leaf, that supports or determines the shape of the rest of the structure

4. an outline consisting of bare essentials

   the skeleton of a novel

5. (modifier) reduced to a minimum

   a skeleton staff

6. a scandalous fact or event in the past that is kept secret

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skeleton Scientific  

/ skĕl′ĭ-tn /

1. The internal structure of vertebrate animals, composed of bone or cartilage, that supports the body, serves as a framework for the attachment of muscles, and protects the vital organs and associated structures.

2. A hard protective covering or supporting structure of invertebrate animals.

3. See also endoskeleton exoskeleton

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Usage

What is the sport of skeleton? Skeleton is a sport in which an individual racer rides a small, railed sled headfirst down an ice-covered chute with the goal of reaching the finish line as quickly as possible. The sled itself is also called a skeleton. The sport is sometimes also called skeleton sledding. The sled is sometimes called a skeleton bobsled or skeleton bobsleigh. Racers steer by making slight shifts in their body position. To slow down, racers can drag a foot on the ice. Skeleton is known as one of the sliding sports, along with luge and bobsleigh (also called bobsled), which take place on a similar course. In skeleton, racers ride on their stomachs, in contrast with luge, in which racers lie on their backs. Skeleton is an event in the Winter Olympics. Due to the vulnerable position of the athletes and the extremely high speeds they can reach—over 80 mph (129 km/h)—skeleton is considered one of the most dangerous winter sports. Example: Skeleton seems very similar to luge, but the strategies used in each sport are actually quite different.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• skeletal
  adjective
• skeleton-like
  adjective
• skeletonless
  adjective
• skeletonlike
  adjective
• skeletally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• skeletons
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of skeleton

1570–80; < New Latin < Greek: mummy, noun use of neuter of skeletós dried up, verbid of skéllein to dry

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Explanation

One thing every person (and most animals) in the world has in common is a skeleton: we all have a connected group of bones that help shape and support our bodies. You probably see a lot of skeletons at Halloween, because they look a little spooky. They shouldn't scare you too much, because we all have skeletons under our skin and muscles. Skeletons give our body shape, and parts of the skeleton (like the skull) protect important organs (like the brain). Sometimes, the word skeleton is used to mean the "bare bones" of other things: the skeleton of a financial plan is a basic outline of that plan. If you said someone has a "skeleton in their closet," it means they're hiding something embarrassing or incriminating.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

skeleton skeletons

The goals came in front of the skeleton of the North Stand, which will not have gone unnoticed as they had previously scored only once when attacking that end this season.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Here’s the thing about the Neko Health scan: It’s not an MRI, so it can’t see into your organs or skeleton and check for any issues happening there.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

It connected the molecular assembly to the cell's internal skeleton, allowing force to be transmitted across the surface of the material being engulfed.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026

"You can swim for hours and hours along the reef in the lagoon, just skeleton after skeleton. It's all dead," said marine biologist Austin Bowden-Kerby, who visited last year and documented the devastation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

His skull is no longer with the rest of the skeleton in the Museum's collection, and its location is a mystery.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Some tips for scaredy cats: If you don’t like spooky scary skeletons, creepy crawlies, or horror flicks, Halloween season can be a fright to endure.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

He’s said: “I set out to write this book thinking I’d reveal where all the skeletons are buried. Turns out most of them are mine.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Copernicus observations go back to 1940 but other evidence -- such as ice cores, tree rings and coral skeletons -- allow scientists to place today's climate against a much longer historical context.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

The sisters' skeletons contained unusually robust muscle attachments, indicating that they regularly performed strenuous physical activities.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

Before they were skeletons, they were crossbeams and girders.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

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Related Words

• frame
• scaffolding

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