skeleton
skeleton — adjective
- skeletonpositive
- more skeletoncomparative
- most skeletonsuperlative
1. describing a group, service, or object that has been reduced to the smallest pos
describing a group, service, or object that has been reduced to the smallest possible size or essential form; also used to describe a person or body that looks extremely thin like a set of bones.
The hospital runs a skeleton staff on weekends with only two nurses on duty.
collocation: skeleton staff
A skeleton key opens many locks because it is filed to a basic shape.
collocation: skeleton key
The railway company kept a skeleton service running during the strike.
The factory operated with a skeleton crew during the holiday shutdown, running just one assembly line.
文法句型
skeleton + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — this sense of skeleton cannot stand alone after a linking verb (e.g., 'the staff is skeleton' is incorrect).
常見錯誤
skeleton — noun
- skeletonsingular
- skeletonsplural
1. the complete set of bones joined together inside a person's or creature's body,
the complete set of bones joined together inside a person's or creature's body, giving it shape and protecting its organs.
Archaeologists found a complete human skeleton buried beneath the temple floor.
The museum display showed a dinosaur skeleton over twenty metres long.
collocation: dinosaur skeleton
Calcium-rich foods help keep your skeleton strong as you grow older.
The X-ray revealed no damage to Hiro's skeleton after the car accident.
Students in biology class studied the skeleton of a frog to learn about bone structure.
用法筆記
Unlike 'bone' (which refers to a single piece), 'skeleton' refers to the entire connected framework of bones as one system.
常見錯誤
2. the simplest version or main supporting structure of a plan, building, written w
the simplest version or main supporting structure of a plan, building, written work, or organization, onto which extra information or parts can be placed later.
Quinn has written a skeleton of the report, but the details still need filling in.
pattern: skeleton + of + [document]
The steel skeleton of the skyscraper was completed ahead of schedule.
The team agreed on a skeleton peace proposal before the full talks the following week.
Even a simple skeleton outline helped Layla organize her essay much more clearly.
- framework
very close in meaning; skeleton emphasizes minimum form, framework may be more complete
- outline
used mainly for plans and writing; suggests a sketch rather than a structural frame
- structure
broader; can refer to anything organized, not just the minimum
- backbone
more figurative; suggests the central supporting element
- embellishment
extra details added to the basic structure
- full version
the completed form with all details
文法句型
skeleton + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is commonly used in academic, business, and construction contexts. A 'skeleton crew' or 'skeleton staff' uses the adjective sense of skeleton (reduced to minimum), not this noun sense, though the idea is related.
常見錯誤
3. a small lightweight sled designed for one person who lies face-down and races he
a small lightweight sled designed for one person who lies face-down and races head-first down a narrow ice-covered track.
Mateo polished the metal runners of his skeleton the night before the competition.
Unlike a luge, a skeleton is ridden face-down with the racer's head pointing forward.
contrast: skeleton vs. luge
The new carbon-fibre skeleton weighed less than fifteen kilograms.
Each Olympic skeleton costs thousands of dollars to design and build.
- sled
general term; skeleton is a specific type of sled
用法筆記
Do not confuse with 'luge' (ridden feet-first on the back) or 'bobsleigh' (a team event in an enclosed sled). Skeleton is the fastest of the three sliding sports.
常見錯誤
4. the winter Olympic sport in which a person rides a skeleton sled down a steep ic
the winter Olympic sport in which a person rides a skeleton sled down a steep ice track at very high speed, lying face-down.
Skeleton returned to the Winter Olympics in 2002 after a fifty-four year break.
Élise was the first from her country to compete in skeleton at the Olympics.
Athletes in skeleton can reach speeds of over 130 kilometres per hour.
Skeleton is a dangerous sport because the rider's head is very near the ice.
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun referring to a sport, skeleton takes no article ('She does skeleton'), unlike the sled sense which is countable ('She bought a skeleton').
常見錯誤
5. a person or animal that is extremely thin, usually because of illness, hunger, o
a person or animal that is extremely thin, usually because of illness, hunger, or long-term neglect.
After months without proper food, the stray dog was little more than a skeleton.
pattern: little more than a skeleton
The prisoners of war looked like walking skeletons when the camp was finally freed.
The doctor was worried that Shanti had turned into a skeleton from the eating disorder.
Rescue workers found a skeleton of a cat in the corner of an abandoned house.
- bag of bones
informal idiom with the same meaning; more colourful
- emaciated person
more clinical and formal; less emotional
- scarecrow
informal; compares the person to a thin object in a field
- fat person
direct opposite
- well-fed person
emphasizes health rather than weight
文法句型
like a skeleton
a skeleton of a person/animal
用法筆記
This sense carries a strong emotional tone of pity or horror. It is often used with 'like a' in similes ('looks like a skeleton'). Avoid using it casually to describe someone who is simply slender.
常見錯誤
6. a shocking, shameful, or embarrassing fact from a person's or family's past that
a shocking, shameful, or embarrassing fact from a person's or family's past that they try to keep hidden from others.
Many families have a skeleton in the cupboard they prefer not to discuss.
idiom: a skeleton in the cupboard
The candidate's past contained a skeleton that the newspaper was eager to expose.
Soraya felt relieved after finally telling her husband about the skeleton in her family history.
Though the old house looked charming, its new owners found a skeleton in the closet.
- dark secret
more general; skeleton implies a shameful family or personal history
- shameful secret
emphasizes the embarrassment; very close in meaning
文法句型
skeleton in the closet/cupboard
skeleton in someone's past
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed expression 'a skeleton in the closet' (American English) or 'a skeleton in the cupboard' (British English). The phrase cannot be reduced to just 'skeleton' to mean a secret.