Bony Definition & Meaning

Home » How To Spell Bony Or Boney » Bony Definition & Meaning

Maybe your like

  • American
  • British
  • Other Word Forms
  • Etymology
  • Examples
  • Related Words
    • Synonyms bony American [boh-nee] / ˈboʊ ni /

    adjective

    bonier, boniest

    1. of or like bone.

    2. full of bones.

    3. having prominent bones; big-boned.

    4. skinny; emaciated.

    bony British / ˈbəʊnɪ /

    adjective

    1. resembling or consisting of bone or bones

    2. having many bones

    3. having prominent bones

      bony cheeks

    4. thin or emaciated

      a bony old woman

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    Other Word Forms

    • boniness noun

    Etymology

    Origin of bony

    First recorded in 1350–1400, bony is from the Middle English word boni. See bone, -y 1

    Example Sentences

    Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

    Tall and thin, with a bony face and piercing eyes, Abel spoke fluent German and English, in addition to Russian.

    From Literature

    Otophysan fish improved this pathway by adding small bony "ossicles" that connect the air bladder, often mistakenly called the swim bladder, to the inner ear.

    From Science Daily

    She lifts Ahmed's shirt to reveal his wounds, his bony back a reminder of the hunger stalking the city.

    From BBC

    Measuring about five metres long and weighing two tonnes, the four-legged beasts had large heads, adorned with a distinctive bony frill and three horns.

    From BBC

    Her sparse, wiry-looking fur sticks out in all directions as if she'd stuck that bony middle finger in an electric socket.

    From Salon

    Related Words

    • emaciated
    • gaunt
    • scrawny
    • skinny

    Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

    Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

    Tag » How To Spell Bony Or Boney