bones

UK /bəʊnz/ US /boʊnz/

noun 4name 1

Definitions

noun

A percussive folk musical instrument played as a pair in one hand, often made from bovine ribs.

A pair of dice for gambling.

Synonym of fist bump.

name

A surname.

noun

A surgeon.

And then the door swung wide upon its hinges, and Bones - our surgeon - Dr. Sawin, outside the service - broke into the room with his favorite greeting: “Hello, inside! Never mind the guard!

Collocations

ADJ.

all, broken, drastic, good, many, old, small

She fell down the stairs and broke several bones in her left arm.

VERB + BONES

ate, breaks, broke, buries, bury, fall, feel, fish

The dog buried the bones in the backyard where nobody could find them.

BONES + NOUN

-, dinosaurs, leg, surgeon, tail

The paleontologist carefully examined the dinosaur bones discovered in the ancient rock formation.

PREP.

about, in, in, out, with

She complained about her aching bones after the long hike yesterday.

ADV.

often

My grandmother's old dog often chewed on bones in the backyard.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — (used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a

castanets
clappers

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

bag of bones

A skinny, malnourished person or animal.

Bradly came out from hiding with a dyspeptic grunt, too depressed by ignominy to send a curse after the old woman. That old bag of bones to bring down cataclysm on him! That old th

make no bones about

To do, indicate, or say something clearly and without hesitation, even if it may be unpleasant.

[B]earyng hymſelfe [Abraham] bolde vpon goddes promyſſe, he made no manner bones ne ſtickyng, but wente in hande to offer vp his onely ſonne Iſaac in ſacrifyce, […]

jump someone's bones

To have sex with someone; to initiate the physical move.

“He’ll jump my bones in bed,” one fat woman explained to us about her current lover, “but he won’t take me out in public. At least the sex is great!”

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

A response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference.

no bones about it

Without any doubt.

Example Bank

The house don't fall when the bones are good.

Wiktionary

And then the door swung wide upon its hinges, and Bones - our surgeon - Dr. Sawin, outside the service - broke into the room with his favorite greeting: “Hello, inside! Never mind the guard!

Wiktionary

Our dog buries its bones in the garden.

Tatoeba · #24181

When you talk of the devil you will hear his bones rattle.

Tatoeba · #28531

I feel in my bones that the party will be a great success.

Tatoeba · #35641

He makes no bones about admitting it.

Tatoeba · #41779

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, bones is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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