Definition of "skeleton" in English

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.

2. An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.

   • She dressed up as a skeleton for Halloween.

3. A very thin person.

   • She lost so much weight while she was ill that she became a skeleton.

4. The central core of something that gives shape to the entire structure.

   • The skeleton of the organisation is essentially the same as it was ten years ago, but many new faces have come and gone.

5. A frame that provides support to a building or other construction.

6. 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’.

7. The vertices and edges of a polyhedron, taken collectively.

8. A very thin form of light-faced type.

9. A minimum or bare essentials.

10. The network of veins in a leaf.

11. Clipping of skeleton in the closet (“a shameful secret”).

Verb

1. To reduce to a skeleton; to skin; to skeletonize.

2. To minimize.

Noun

1. A type of tobogganing in which competitors lie face down, and descend head first.