skeleton

skeleton
I. noun Etymology: New Latin, from Greek, neuter of skeletos dried up; akin to Greek skellein to dry up, sklēros hard and perhaps to Old English sceald shallow Date: 1578 1. a usually rigid supportive or protective structure or framework of an organism; especially the bony or more or less cartilaginous framework supporting the soft tissues and protecting the internal organs of a vertebrate 2. something reduced to its minimum form or essential parts 3. an emaciated person or animal 4. a. something forming a structural framework b. the straight or branched chain or ring of atoms that forms the basic structure of an organic molecule 5. something shameful and kept secret (as in a family) — often used in the phrase skeleton in the closetskeletonic adjective II. adjective Date: 1778 of, consisting of, or resembling a skeleton

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Skeleton — Fédération internationale FIBT (fondée en 1923) Sport olympique depuis Depuis 1928 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Skeleton — Skel e*ton, a. Consisting of, or resembling, a skeleton; consisting merely of the framework or outlines; having only certain leading features of anything; as, a skeleton sermon; a skeleton crystal. [1913 Webster] {Skeleton bill}, a bill or draft… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • skeleton — [skel′ə tən] n. [ModL < Gr < skeleton (sōma), dried (body), mummy < skeletos, dried up, akin to sklēros, dry, hard < IE base * (s)kel > SHALLOW] 1. the hard framework of an animal body, supporting the tissues and protecting the… …   English World dictionary

  • skeleton — ● skeleton nom masculin (anglais skeleton, du grec skeletos, squelette) Sorte de luge utilisée sur piste de neige durcie ou de glace, sur laquelle le coureur est couché à plat ventre. Sport pratiqué avec cet engin. (Le skeleton est redevenu… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • skeleton — UK US /ˈskelɪtən/ adjective [before noun] ► used to describe something in its most basic form: »His solicitor confirmed he had faxed a skeleton argument supporting his client s application for bail. »The rail company was hoping to run a skeleton… …   Financial and business terms

  • skeleton — 1570s, from Mod.L. sceleton bones, bony framework of the body, from Gk. skeleton soma dried up body, mummy, from neut. of skeletos dried up, from skellein dry up, from PIE root *skele to parch, whither (Cf. Gk. skleros hard ). The Greek word was… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Skeleton — Skel e*ton, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ???? (sc. ???) a dried body, a mummy, fr. ???? dried up, parched, ???? to dry, dry up, parch.] 1. (Anat.) (a) The bony and cartilaginous framework which supports the soft parts of a vertebrate animal. Note: [See… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • skeleton — ► NOUN 1) an internal or external framework of bone, cartilage, or other rigid material supporting or containing the body of an animal or plant. 2) a very thin or emaciated person or animal. 3) a supporting framework, basic structure, or… …   English terms dictionary

  • skeleton — skèletōn m DEFINICIJA sport 1. disciplina sanjkanja u kojoj se upotrebljavaju specijalne sanjke 2. vrsta sanjki na kojima natjecatelj leži potrbuške ETIMOLOGIJA engl. skeleton, usp. skelet …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Skeleton — Skeleton, s. Schlitten, S. 870 …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Skeleton — Skelĕton, niedriger Sportschlitten (Rutschschlitten) mit senkrechten Streben, den der Fahrer, auf dem Bauche liegend, mit den nach hinten gestreckten Beinen steuert …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

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