n.
Pronunciation: ' ske-l ə -t ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek, neuter of skeletos dried up; akin to Greek skellein to dry up, skl ē ros 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 closet
– ske · le · ton · ic \ ˌ ske-l ə - ' tä-nik \ adjective
skeleton 1: 1 skull, 2 clavicle, 3 scapula, 4 sternum, 5 humerus, 6 pelvis, 7 carpus, 8 metacarpal bones, 9 phalanges (fingers), 10 tibia, 11 tarsus, 12 metatarsal bones, 13 phalanges (toes), 14 fibula, 15 patella, 16 femur, 17 ulna, 18 radius, 19 spinal column, 20 rib, 21 orbit