bone

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.
2. (countable) Any of the components of an endoskeleton, made of this material.
3. (countable, uncountable) A bone of a fish; a fishbone.
4. (countable, uncountable) A bonefish.
5. (countable, uncountable) One of the rigid parts of a corset that forms its frame, the boning, originally made of whalebone.
6. (countable, uncountable) One of the fragments of bone held between the fingers of the hand and rattled together to keep time to music.
7. (countable, uncountable) Anything made of bone, such as a bobbin for weaving bone lace.
8. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) The framework of anything.
9. (countable, uncountable) An off-white colour, like the typical colour of bone.
10. (US, countable, in-plural, informal, uncountable) A dollar.
11. (countable, informal, uncountable) The wishbone formation.
12. (countable, slang, uncountable) An erect penis; a boner.
13. (countable, in-plural, slang, uncountable) A domino or die.
14. (countable, slang, uncountable) A cannabis cigarette; a joint.
15. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A reward.

Adj

Of an off-white colour, like the colour of bone.

Verb

1. To prepare (meat, etc) by removing the bone or bones from.
2. To fertilize with bone.
3. To put whalebone into.
4. To make level, using a particular procedure; to survey a level line.
5. (ambitransitive, slang, usually, vulgar) To have sexual intercourse (with).
6. (Australia, dated) To perform “bone pointing”, a ritual that is intended to bring illness or even death to the victim.
7. (usually) To study.
8. To polish boots to a shiny finish.
9. To nag, especially for an unpaid debt.

Adv

Used before an adjective as an intensifier

Verb

To apprehend, steal.

Verb

To sight along an object or set of objects to check whether they are level or in line.

Synonyms

skeleton

debone

bony

grind away

fishbone

get up

seed

cram

bone up

swot up

mug up

os

osseous tissue

pearl

drum

🥁

off-white

screw

ivory

osseous

swot

bonk

root

fuck

👉👌

backbone

nail

bones

boney

leg bone

long bone

osteal

hard seed

Alawa

domino piece

boned

cheekbone

collarbone

domino

drill

enter

hip

kernel

mastoid

mesenchyme

mug

pit

plow

plug

poke

relic

shell

🐚

Translations

os

🦴

hueso

🦴

Knochen

🦴

osso

🦴

osso

🦴

been

🦵

os

os

🦴

kemik

🦴

bot

κόκαλο

Bein

désosser

οστό

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bəʊn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: bon

Inherited from Old English: bān

Cognate with Scots: bane

Cognate with Northern Frisian: bien

Cognate with Western Frisian: bien

Cognate with Dutch: been

Cognate with German: Bein

Cognate with German: Gebein

Cognate with Swedish: ben

Cognate with Norwegian: -

Cognate with Icelandic: bein

Cognate with Breton: benañ

Cognate with Latin: perfinēs

Cognate with Avestan: 𐬠𐬫𐬈𐬥𐬙𐬈

Cognate with Old Norse: beinn

Cognate with Middle English: bain

Cognate with Scots: bein

Cognate with Icelandic: beinn

Cognate with Norwegian: bein

In summary

From Middle English bon, from Old English bān (“bone, tusk; the bone of a limb”), from Proto-Germanic *bainą (“bone”), from *bainaz (“straight”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to hit, strike, beat”).
Cognate with Scots bane, been, bean, bein, bain (“bone”), North Frisian bian, Biin, biinj (“bone; leg”), West Frisian bien (“bone”), Dutch been (“bone; leg”), German Low German Been, Bein (“bone”), German Bein (“leg”), German Gebein (“bones”), Swedish ben (“bone; leg”), Norwegian and Icelandic bein (“bone”), Breton benañ (“to cut, hew”), Latin perfinēs (“break through, break into pieces, shatter”), Avestan 𐬠𐬫𐬈𐬥𐬙𐬈 (byente, “they fight, hit”). Related also to Old Norse beinn (“straight, right, favourable, advantageous, convenient, friendly, fair, keen”) (whence Middle English bain, bayne, bayn, beyn (“direct, prompt”), Scots bein, bien (“in good condition, pleasant, well-to-do, cosy, well-stocked, pleasant, keen”)), Icelandic beinn (“straight, direct, hospitable”), Norwegian bein (“straight, direct, easy to deal with”). See bain, bein.