What does "skeleton" mean?
The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
Skeleton
/ˈskɛlɪtn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
- Grammar: skeleton is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: frame, abbreviation, abbreviature, abrege.
- Useful contrasts: chaos, disorganization, flesh.
- Usage evidence: There is a skeleton in every closet.
How to use "skeleton"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "skeleton" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "skeleton" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "skeleton" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "skeleton" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "skeleton" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "frame" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "skeleton", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
"At the foot of a pretty big pine, and involved in a green creeper, which had even partly lifted some of the smaller bones, a human skeleton lay, with a few shreds of clothing, on the ground."
- 2 A type of tobogganing in which competitors lie face down, and descend head first. uncountable
"Lugers, who slide feet first and reach the highest speeds, experience some of the same forces, but seem to suffer far fewer concussion-like symptoms than bobsled and skeleton athletes do, probably because a support strap often prevents their heads from banging into the ice."
- 3 the internal supporting structure that gives an artifact its shape wordnet
- 4 An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.
"She dressed up as a skeleton for Halloween."
- 5 the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal wordnet
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 A very thin person. figuratively
"She lost so much weight while she was ill that she became a skeleton."
- 7 a scandal that is kept secret wordnet
- 8 The central core of something that gives shape to the entire structure. figuratively
"The skeleton of the organisation is essentially the same as it was ten years ago, but many new faces have come and gone."
- 9 something reduced to its minimal form wordnet
- 10 A frame that provides support to a building or other construction.
- 11 A client-helper procedure that communicates with a stub.
"In remote method invocation, the client helper is a ‘stub’ and the service helper is a ‘skeleton’."
- 12 The vertices and edges of a polyhedron, taken collectively.
- 13 A very thin form of light-faced type.
- 14 A minimum or bare essentials. attributive, especially
"At the time of writing the halts have been reprieved due to doubts as to the legality of the withdrawal of services. It is feared that this reprieve may not outlast the summer timetable which, on the section in question, provides only a skeleton of the former service."
- 15 The network of veins in a leaf.
"However interesting the skeleton of a leaf that has been bleached by nature may be, it cannot be alleged to be beautiful in colour, and therefore it is not of much value for the purposes of household decoration."
- 16 Clipping of skeleton in the closet (“a shameful secret”). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, idiomatic
Verb
- 1 To reduce to a skeleton; to skin; to skeletonize. archaic
- 2 To minimize. archaic
Antonyms
Example
"There is a skeleton in every closet."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "skeleton"?
Common synonyms include: frame, abbreviation, abbreviature, abrege, abridgment, abstract.
How do you use "skeleton" in a sentence?
There is a skeleton in every closet.
How do you pronounce "skeleton"?
Pronounced /ˈskɛlɪtn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From New Latin sceleton, from Ancient Greek σκελετόν (skeletón), the neuter of σκελετός (skeletós, “dried up, withered, dried body, parched, mummy”), from σκέλλω (skéllō, “dry, dry up, make dry, parch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, wither”); compare Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”).
Etymology 2
The etymology of the term is disputed between two versions. * From the sled used, which originally was a bare frame, like a skeleton. * From Norwegian kjaelke (a type of ice sled) through a bad anglicization as "skele".