skeleton

Word family

Related topics: Biology, Medicine

ldoce_304_gskel·e·ton /ˈskelətən/ noun

bones 骨头 [countableC]

a) HBthe structure consisting of all the bones in a human or animal body 〔人体或动物的〕骨骼

the human skeleton

人体骨骼

b) Ma set of these bones or a model of them, fastened in their usual positions, used, for example, by medical students 〔医学研究用的〕骨骼标本，骨骼模型

→5 See picture of skull 颅骨, breastbone 胸骨, pelvis 骨盆 ... →4 See picture of 见图 skeleton

2 basic parts 基本部分 [singular]SUMMARIZE the most important parts of something, to which more detail can be added later 骨架，框架；梗概，纲要

We agreed on a skeleton outline of the proposal.

我们给提案商定了一个基本框架。

3 thin person 很瘦的人 [countableC]THIN OBJECT OR MATERIAL an extremely thin person or animal 骨瘦如柴的人[动物]

The disease had reduced Harry to a skeleton.

这场病后，哈里瘦得只剩皮包骨了。

4 structure 结构 [countableC] the main structure that supports a building, bridge etc 〔建筑物、桥梁等的〕框架，骨架

Minutes after the explosion, all that remained was the skeleton of the bridge.

爆炸发生几分钟后，这座桥就只剩一副框架了。

5. a skeleton in the closet (also a skeleton in the cupboard British English)SECRET an embarrassing or unpleasant secret about something that happened to you in the past 不可告人的丑事；隐情

6 skeleton staff/crew/service etc ENOUGHonly enough workers or services to keep an operation or organization running 最基本的人员/服务等

The bus company is operating a skeleton service on Christmas Day.

巴士公司在圣诞节这天只提供最基本的营运服务。

Examples from the Corpus

skeleton staff/crew/service etc• The doc pointed out how appropriate it was to have a Skull in a skeleton crew.• There was only a skeleton staff on duty and no one took much notice of him.• The Republicans and Democrats tick over with a skeleton staff and then hire specialist consultants for each campaign.• A skeleton staff was on duty to keep the world-wide operations of Royalbion ticking over.• The Automobile Association skeleton staff trio will be huddled in front of their personal computer screens relaying road conditions to drivers.• Without you ghost ferries would cross the Mersey manned by skeleton crews.• The skeleton staff were no match for Massenga and his team of ex-Security policemen.• Various versions were filmed on closed sets with skeleton crews and strict security.

7 sport 体育运动

a) [uncountableU] a sport in which you slide down a special ice track while lying on your front on a type of sledge 钢架雪车（运动）

n b) [countableC] the vehicle you slide on in this sport

→ bobsleigh , luge

Examples from the Corpus

skeleton• The plate showed the clear outline of a skeleton!• We watched her go from a healthy girl to a skeleton in just a few months.• The skulls and one complete skeleton in rotting clothes had leered out of magazines.• He had watched it in early May, as the tiny breaking leaves spread a pinkish haze over the magnificent skeleton.• Today he is making skeletons for Halloween.• Is essential for normal skeleton development in children and adolescents, and for maintaining high bone density in young adults.• The office building's steel skeleton rose above the skyline.• One of the skeletons has an Amulet of Coal about its neck.• It leaves a fully intact and unmodified skeleton at its place of death.• Unlike caffeine, these molecules have only two methyl groups attached to their xanthine skeleton.

Origin skeleton

(1500-1600) Modern Latin Greek, from skeletos “dried up”

skel·e·ton noun

LDOCE Online

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus