Added 10 October 2026
skeleton
/ˈskɛlɪtən/ noun
In Latin: sceletus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about skeleton at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The system that provides support to an organism, where in vertebrates it is internal and consists of bones and cartilage, and external in some other animals.
-
An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.
Her whimsical Halloween decorations include dancing skeletons who sing an eerie song.
-
A very thin person.
She lost so much weight while she was ill that she became a skeleton.
verb
noun
Origin
From New Latin sceleton, from Ancient Greek σκελετόν (skeletón), the neuter of σκελετός (skeletós, “dried up, withered, dried body, parched, mummy”), from σκέλλω (skéllō, “dry, dry up, make dry, parch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, wither”); compare Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)