Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having many bones or prominent bones: Describes something, especially a part of a living creature, that has a noticeable or excessive skeletal structure.
   • Composed of or resembling bone: Describes something that is made of bone or is hard and rigid like bone.
   • Very thin, emaciated: Describes a person or animal that is so thin that the bones are clearly visible, often due to illness, hunger, or other causes.

Usage Examples

• Having many or prominent bones:
  • The doctor noted the patient's bony elbows and knees.
  • He filleted the bony fish with great care.
• Composed of or resembling bone:
  • The fossil contained a piece of bony tissue.
• Very thin, emaciated:
  • Years of hardship left her with bony, gaunt cheeks.
  • The stray dog was bony and weak from hunger.

Advanced Usage

• "bony structure": Refers to the skeletal framework of a body or object.
  • The X-ray revealed an abnormal bony structure in the skull.
• "bony prominence": A medical/anatomical term for a part of the body where the bone is close to the skin surface.
  • The elbow is a common bony prominence susceptible to injury.

Variants and Related Words

• Boniness (noun): The state or quality of being bony.
  • The boniness of his frame was alarming.
• Boned (adjective): Having bones. (Note: Often used in compounds like "big-boned" or in cooking, e.g., "a boned chicken").
• Bone (noun/verb): The hard tissue forming the skeleton.

Synonyms

• Skeletal: Relating to or resembling a skeleton; very thin.
• Gaunt: Lean and haggard, especially from suffering or age.
• Emaciated: Abnormally thin or weak, especially from illness or lack of food.
• Osseous (technical): Consisting of or turned into bone; bony.

Antonyms

• Plump: Having a full, rounded shape.
• Fleshy: Having a lot of flesh; plump.
• Corpulent: (Of a person) fat.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• All skin and bones: An idiom meaning extremely thin.
  • After his illness, he was all skin and bones.
• Bony finger: Often used metaphorically to describe a thin, pointing finger or a feeling of dread.
  • The bony finger of accusation was pointed at him.

Adjective

1. having bones especially many or prominent bones
   • a bony shad fillet
   • her bony wrist
   • bony fish
2. composed of or containing bone
   • osseous tissue
3. very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
   • emaciated bony hands
   • a nightmare population of gaunt men and skeletal boys
   • eyes were haggard and cavernous
   • small pinched faces
   • kept life in his wasted frame only by grim concentration