Tra từ skeleton - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

skel·eton [skeleton skeletons] BrE [ˈskelɪtn] NAmE [ˈskelɪtn] noun

1. countable the structure of bones that supports the body of a person or an animal; a model of this structure
•The human skeleton consists of 206 bones.
•a dinosaur skeleton

2. countable (informal)a very thin person or animal
•The disease has reduced her to a skeleton.
3. countable, usually singular the main structure that supports a building, etc.
Syn: ↑framework
•Only the concrete skeleton of the factory remained.
4. countable, usually singular the basic outline of a plan, piece of writing, etc. to which more details can be added later
•Examples were used to flesh out the skeleton of the argument.
5. countable ~ staff, crew, etc. the smallest number of people, etc. that you need to do sth
•There will only be a skeleton staff on duty over the holiday.
•We managed to operate a skeleton bus service during the strike.
6. countable (sport)a type of ↑sledge (= a vehicle for sliding over ice) for racing, used by one person lying on their front with their feet pointing backwards
•It's just like the skeletons they use in the Olympics.
•The skeleton slider broke his back in the race.
7. uncountable the sport or event of racing down a special track of ice on a ↑skeleton
•Canada won gold and silver in the skeleton.
•Skeleton returned to the Winter Olympics in 2002.
•skeleton events at the Winter Olympics
Idiom: ↑skeleton in the cupboard
See also: ↑skeleton in the closet

Word Origin:
late 16th cent.: modern Latin, from Greek, neuter of skeletos ‘dried up’, from skellein ‘dry up’.

Example Bank:
•a partial skeleton of an undiscovered species