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

Etymology

Origin of skeleton

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

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 show is returning with 15 celebrities competing for the glitterball trophy, including Australian singer Delta Goodrem, former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips, actresses Lacey Turner and Jaime Winstone and Team GB skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Coral can live for decades or centuries, and they form a skeleton of calcium carbonate layers as they grow, kind of like rings on a tree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

This is because the chemical makeup of the coral skeleton -- the ratio of strontium-to-calcium and the different forms of oxygen inside it -- reflects the conditions under which it grew.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Dr Barrett explains that physiotherapy can help by "toning up and strengthening the key muscles which hold the skeleton together".

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

It was like looking at the skeleton of a giant beast.

From "I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912" by Lauren Tarshis

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

If you remember anything at all, you remember the skeletons.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

"As the water goes down, the skeletons come up."

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

This period marked a major evolutionary shift from predominantly soft-bodied organisms toward the Cambrian explosion, when animals with greater mobility, shells, and skeletons became increasingly prominent.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

For a small sum, we had been allowed to watch from afar as hundreds of workers crawled ant-like over the lumber skeletons.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• frame
• scaffolding