Dictionary

skeleton crew en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌskɛlətən ˈkɹu/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˌskɛlɪtn ˈkɹuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From skeleton (“(military) small number of soldiers in a regiment far short of its full strength; (especially attributive) bare essentials, minimum”) + crew, metaphorically referring to a crew being bare bones rather than adequately fleshed out.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) A crew consisting of the minimum number of personnel needed to maintain and operate the basic functions of something, such as a business, a factory, or a ship.
   • [T]he ships of the English navy were left with skeleton crews of the most wretched kind and description. 1834 March 4, Duke of Buckingham [Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos], “Impressment of Seamen”, in Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates: […] Third Series; […] (House of Commons), volume XXI, London: […] T[homas] C[urson] Hansard, […], for Baldwin and Cradock; […], →OCLC, column 1073:
   • The internet technology team—which is partly responsible for keeping the site functioning—became "a skeleton crew," two people said. 2022 November 4, Kate Conger, Ryan Mac, Mike Isaac, “Confusion and frustration reign as Elon Musk cuts half of Twitter's staff”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Mar 2025:
   • In Building Op 750, 2 phosphorus incendiaries penetrated the roof without damage. Eighteen phosphorus incendiaries fell on Op 450 and penetrated the roof, but were extinguished by the skeleton crew without damage. 1945 August 4, Franklin D’Olier, chairman, “Appendix IV: Air Raid Reports (Translations)”, in [anonymous], transl., Ludwigshafen-Oppau Works of IG Farbenindustrie AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany (United States Strategic Bombing Survey; 117), 2nd edition, [Washington, D.C.]: Oil Division, [United States Strategic Bombing Survey], published January 1947, →OCLC, page 99:
   • But when night came on, the wind died away, and the skeleton crew, revived by hope, actually took to the oars, and used them to some effect. 1838, [Frederick] Chamier, chapter XIV, in Jack Adams, the Mutineer. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 270:
   • Mr. [Benjamin Franklin] Tracy, the former Secretary [of the Navy], in a conversation with the present Secretary, stated that his policy with the battle ships, had he continued in office, would have been to lay them up the greater part of the year with merely skeleton crews on board, and keep them in good and efficient trim for an emergency when necessary. 1895 March 2, “Naval Appropriation Bill”, in Congressional Record: […] (United States Senate, 53rd Congress, 3rd session), volume XXVII, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, published 1895, →OCLC, page 3120:

Forms

Coordinates

skeleton staff

Relateds

skeleton service · bare-bones · skeleton staff · skeletonized · short-staffed

Translations (2)

fi minimimiehistö (crew consisting of the minimum number of personnel needed to maintain and operate the basic functions of something) · pl podstawowy personel (crew consisting of the minimum number of personnel needed to maintain and operate the basic functions of something)