bone
bone definition
bone (bōn)
noun
- any of the separate parts of the hard connective tissue forming the skeleton of most full-grown vertebrate animals
- this tissue, composed essentially of living cells embedded in hard calcium compounds
- the skeleton
- the body, living or dead
- a bonelike substance or part, as whalebone
- a thing made of bone or of bonelike material; specif.,
- a corset stay
- Informal dice
- flat sticks used as clappers in minstrel shows
- ☆ an end man in a minstrel show
- bone white
Etymology: ME bon < OE ban, bone, esp. of a limb, akin to Ger bein, a leg; only Gmc
transitive verb boned, boning bon′·ing
- to remove the bones from
- to put whalebone or other stiffening into
- to fertilize with bone meal
intransitive verb
☆ to study hard and hurriedly, as in preparation for an examination; cram: usually with up
bone Idioms
feel in one's bones
☆ to have an intuition or presentiment
have a bone to pick
Informal to have something to quarrel or complain about
make no bones about
Informal- to make no attempt to hide; admit freely
- to have no objection to or qualms about
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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