bone
bone Lexical Profile
bone Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of the hard, whitish, calcified pieces of tissue that make up the internal skeleton in humans and other vertebrates.
"The femur is the longest and strongest bone in the human body."
The hard, dense connective tissue of which a vertebrate skeleton is composed, or a similar hard substance such as ivory or whalebone.
"Archaeologists uncovered ancient sewing needles carved from animal bone."
The fundamental structure, framework, or essential core of something, such as a literary work, plan, or argument (usually used in the plural).
"She sketched out the bare bones of her research proposal before writing the full draft."
A pale off-white or greyish-yellow shade resembling the natural color of dried bone.
"The ceramic vase was finished in a matte glaze of soft bone."
• verb
To remove the bones from a piece of meat, poultry, or fish before cooking or serving.
"The chef carefully boned the trout before pan-searing the fillets."
To study or review a subject intensively, typically in preparation for an examination or meeting (usually followed by 'up').
"He spent the weekend boning up on international trade law before the conference."
To stiffen a garment, such as a corset or bodice, by inserting strips of whalebone, metal, or rigid plastic.
"The costume designer boned the historical bodice to give it a structured silhouette."
• adjective
Having a pale, off-white or yellowish-white color resembling that of dried skeletal bone.
"The interior designer chose a warm bone paint for the living room walls."
• Rhymes for bone
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'bān' ('bone, tusk'), derived from Proto-Germanic '*bainą', making it cognate with German 'Bein' (now meaning 'leg') and Dutch 'been'.