First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1bone
noun, often attributive \ˈbōn\
: any one of the hard pieces that form the frame (called a skeleton) inside a person's or animal's body
: the hard material that bones are made of
Full Definition of BONE
1
a : one of the hard parts of the skeleton of a vertebrate b : any of various hard animal substances or structures (as baleen or ivory) akin to or resembling bone c : the hard largely calcareous connective tissue of which the adult skeleton of most vertebrates is chiefly composed
2
3
5
a plural : thin bars of bone, ivory, or wood held in pairs between the fingers and used to produce musical rhythms b : a strip of material (as whalebone or steel) used to stiffen a garment (as a corset) c plural : dice
6
: something that is designed to placate : sop
7
: a light beige
8
: inclination 1b <hadn't a political bone in his body — John Hersey>
9
slang : dollar
— boned \ˈbōnd\ adjective
— bone·less \ˈbōn-ləs\ adjective
— bone to pick
: a matter to argue or complain about
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Origin of BONE
Middle English bon, from Old English bān; akin to Old High German & Old Norse bein bone, and perhaps to Old Irish benaid he hews
Related to BONE
- Synonyms
- affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, inclination, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn
2bone
verb
: to remove the bones from (a fish or meat)
bonedbon·ing
Full Definition of BONE
transitive verb
1
: to remove the bones from <bone a fish>
2
: to provide (a garment) with stays
3
: to rub (as a boot or baseball bat) with something hard (as a piece of bone) in order to smooth the surface
intransitive verb
: to study hard : grind <bone through medical school>
See bone defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of BONE
15th century
3bone
adverb
: extremely or very : completely or totally
Full Definition of BONE
See bone defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of BONE
circa 1825
Related to BONE
- Synonyms
- achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, very, colossally, corking, cracking, damn, damned, dang, deadly, desperately, eminently, enormously, especially, ever, exceedingly (also exceeding), extra, extremely, fabulously, fantastically, far, fiercely, filthy, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, intensely, jolly, majorly, mightily, mighty, monstrous [chiefly dialect], mortally, most, much, particularly, passing, rattling, real, really, right, roaring, roaringly, seriously, severely, so, sore, sorely, spanking, specially, stinking, such, super, supremely, surpassingly, terribly, that, thumping, too, unco, uncommonly, vastly, vitally, way, whacking, wicked, wildly
- Antonyms
- little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, somewhat
Bone
biographical name \ˈbōn\
Definition of BONE
Sir Muirhead 1876–1953 Scot. etcher & painter
Bône
geographical name
Definition of BÔNE
— see annaba
BONE Defined for Kids
1bone
noun \ˈbōn\
Definition of BONE for Kids
1
: any of the hard pieces that form the skeleton of most animals <the bones of the arm>
2
: the hard material of which the skeleton of most animals is formed <a piece of bone>
— bone·less \-ləs\ adjective
2bone
verb
bonedbon·ing
Definition of BONE for Kids
: to remove the bones from <bone a fish>
Medical Dictionary
bone
noun , often attrib \ˈbōn\
Medical Definition of BONE
1
: one of the hard parts of the skeleton of a vertebrate <a shoulder bone> <the bones of the arm>
2
: any of various hard animal substances or structures (as baleen or ivory) akin to or resembling bone
3
: the hard largely calcareous connective tissue of which the adult skeleton of most vertebrates is chiefly composed <cancellous bone> <compact bone>—compare cartilage 1
Illustration of BONE
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