skeletal
UK /ˈskɛl.ɪ.təl/ · US /ˈskɛl.ə.təl/ noun, adjective
Forms skeletals sceletal
- noun (paleontology, informal) Shorthand for skeletal diagram (a black-and-white drawing of a [usually extinct] animal’s skeleton to be used as a reference for paleoart)
- adjective of, or relating to the skeleton
- adjective haggard, cadaverous, emaciated or gaunt
- adjective barebones, lacking elaboration
- adjective Comprising only the base structure of a building, etc. “After the bombing, only the skeletal remains of the city could be seen.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From skeleton + -al.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Pertaining to the skeleton.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “skeletal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details