noun
something reduced to its minimal form
Examples
- the battalion was a mere skeleton of its former self
- the bare skeleton of a novel
noun
a scandal that is kept secret
Synonyms
skeleton in the closet
skeleton in the cupboard
Examples
- there must be a skeleton somewhere in that family's closet
noun
the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal
Synonyms
skeletal system
frame
systema skeletale
noun
the internal supporting structure that gives an artifact its shape
Synonyms
Examples
- the building has a steel skeleton