variants
or less commonly boney
bonier; boniest
Synonyms
Examples of bony in a Sentence
a bony piece of fish
that bony old horse may have been deliberately starved
Recent Examples on the Web
The climb glided easily across the scalp without tugging at our strands and didn't ever cause us any discomfort or pain (even on the bonier parts of the head).
—
Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 1 May 2023
Then stand or sit while bending forward at the waist, pinching the soft part of the nose below the bony portion on both sides for 10 minutes.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2023
Riders follow the instructions of Redbeard (given via onboard audio), which include finding and counting gems along the shore, looking out for bony opponents in Skeleton Valley and participating in a seaworthy singalong near the finale.
—Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2023
Santiago Calatrava is best known for bridges that leap and budgets that soar, for vast and bony white-steel structures that evoke high-tech ruins of the future and cause fiscal ruin in the present.
—Curbed, 6 Dec. 2022
Its bony head armor was more like that of Asian ankyloaurs than ones from North America.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018
There are two types of fish, cartilaginous and bony.
—Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2022
Other fossils included a shark-like creature that featured a bony front, along with a jawless fish that is expected to give further insight into how ancient fins eventually evolved into arms and legs.
—Haley Chi-Sing, Fox News, 28 Sep. 2022
One particularly exciting aspect of the Wyoming fossil is a bony protuberance over its eye sockets, which is not a feature seen in nocturnal birds.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 25 May 2022
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Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 1 May 2023
Then stand or sit while bending forward at the waist, pinching the soft part of the nose below the bony portion on both sides for 10 minutes.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2023
Riders follow the instructions of Redbeard (given via onboard audio), which include finding and counting gems along the shore, looking out for bony opponents in Skeleton Valley and participating in a seaworthy singalong near the finale.
—Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2023
Santiago Calatrava is best known for bridges that leap and budgets that soar, for vast and bony white-steel structures that evoke high-tech ruins of the future and cause fiscal ruin in the present.
—Curbed, 6 Dec. 2022
Its bony head armor was more like that of Asian ankyloaurs than ones from North America.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018
There are two types of fish, cartilaginous and bony.
—Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2022
Other fossils included a shark-like creature that featured a bony front, along with a jawless fish that is expected to give further insight into how ancient fins eventually evolved into arms and legs.
—Haley Chi-Sing, Fox News, 28 Sep. 2022
One particularly exciting aspect of the Wyoming fossil is a bony protuberance over its eye sockets, which is not a feature seen in nocturnal birds.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 25 May 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of bony was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing bony
Dictionary Entries Near bony
Cite this Entry
“Bony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bony. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
bony
adjective
bonier; boniest
1
: of or relating to bone
the bony structure of the body
2
: full of bones
3
: resembling bone especially in hardness
a bony substance
4
: having large or noticeable bones
a bony face
5
Medical Definition
bony
adjective
variants
also boney
bonier; boniest
: consisting of or resembling bone
bony prominences of the skull
More from Merriam-Webster on bony
Nglish: Translation of bony for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bony for Arabic Speakers
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