skeletal

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈskɛlətəl/ UK /ˈskɛlɪtəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #30440

Meanings

1

adj
relating to, forming, or attached to a skeleton

Fear can increase the tonus of the skeletal muscles.
2

adj
reduced to a bare framework or lacking detail

The proposal offered only a skeletal outline of the argument.
3

adj
extremely thin, gaunt, or emaciated

After weeks without food, the animal looked skeletal.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · relating to, forming, or... osseous bony

2 adj · reduced to a bare framework... bare-bonesminimal outline

3 adj · extremely thin, gaunt, or... gauntemaciatedcadaverous

Opposites

fleshy detailed complete

Word family

Derived forms skeletally

Related forms skeleton bone muscle

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

skeletal frame
the internal supporting framework that gives an object its shape

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From skeleton + -al. The figurative sense extends the body's supporting framework to any bare structural outline.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

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