Main Entry: ¹skel·e·ton

Pronunciation: \ˈske-lə-tən\

Function: 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 closet
6 : a small sled that is ridden in a prone position and used especially in competition; also : the competition itself

— ske·le·ton·ic \ˌske-lə-ˈtä-nik\ adjective

[skeleton illustration]