BONES

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bones mean? 

• BONES (noun)
  The noun BONES has 1 sense:

1. (used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

  Familiarity information: BONES used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BONES (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bones; castanets; clappers; finger cymbals

Hypernyms ("bones" is a kind of...):

percussion instrument; percussive instrument (a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by one object striking another)

Domain usage:

plural; plural form (the form of a word that is used to denote more than one)

 Context examples 

With the help of professional excavators and coal miners, the scientists unearthed vertebrae, ribs, limbs and pelvic bones over the course of several months.

(Paleontologists discover new species of titanosaurian dinosaur in Tanzania, NSF)

The most racking pangs succeeded: a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

If left untreated, celiac disease can lead to malnutrition, anemia, weakened bones, and other problems.

(Virus linked to food sensitivity, NIH)

Cell fusion involves just a few tissues, including the development of the placenta and the remodeling of our bones.

(Researchers Discovered Proteins Essential to Development of Skeletal Muscle, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The team looked at the preserved patterns of blood supply, growth cartilages at the ends of limb bones, and at bone remodeling.

(Newly discovered baby Titanosaur sheds light on dinosaurs' early lives, NSF)

Taking too much zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb, which can lead to anemia and weakening of the bones.

(Zinc Deficiency during Pregnancy Linked to Autism in Babies, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Scientists have discovered that a protein that plays a crucial role in healing broken bones is not fully functional in diabetics.

(Protein Discovery Could Help Heal Bones in Diabetics, VOA)

Sharks are cartilaginous, which means their skeletons are made of cartilage, not bones.

(Ancient sharks likely more diverse than previously thought, National Science Foundation)

This causes the bones of the hands, feet, head, and face to grow larger than normal.

(Acromegaly, NCI Dictionary)

Six they were, and six are we; and bones is what they are now.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)