bones en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /boʊnz/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /bəʊnz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Meanings
- A percussive folk musical instrument played as a pair in one hand, often made from bovine ribs.
-
(form-of, plural) plural of bone
form of bone
- Dice for gambling.
- (informal) Synonym of fist bump.
-
(plural, plural-only) The framework or foundation of something.
“There's gotta be another place on this giant property I could stash these shoes. How about that barn out back?” “You want to put your expensive sneakers in some dilapidated old barn?” “Yeah, it's old, but it's got good bones. And it's actually got a solid roof to it.”
2023 May 4, Joe Port & Joe Wiseman, “Woodstone's Hottest Couple” (15:11 from the start), in Ghosts, season 2, episode 20, spoken by Mark (Tristan D. Lalla):The house don't fall when the bones are good.
2019, Maren Morris, The Bones:“Mom, when you look around the house, what do you see?” “Walls. Just a lot of walls.” “[Scoffs] Walls. What a noob. What do we see, Jeff, you and I?” “When I look at a house, I can see beyond the walls...” “Uh-huh.” “....above the ceiling...” “That's right.” “...and below the floor.” “Bingo.” “I can see its bones.” “Happy now, Francine?” “If we combine his instincts with your money, the sky's the limit.” “The sky, you say?” “He's surveying the bones of our house.” “He is? Well, don't hold out on us, Jeff. What do you see?” “[Breathes deeply] Your house has great bones.” [Sighs] “Wow, he's good.”
2019 May 20, Joel Hurwitz, “Lost Boys” (4:36 from the start), in American Dad!, season 16, episode 6, spoken by Jeff Fischer (Jeff Fischer):
Deriveds
sawbones · break-bones · lazybones · Bonesman · crossbones
Relateds
spoons (musical instrument)
Synonyms
fist bump (fists meeting equivalent to a high-five) · props (fists meeting equivalent to a high-five) · fist bump
Translations (2)
it ossa (percussive folk musical instrument) · ga cnámha (percussive folk musical instrument)