BONY (bonier, boniest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: bonier    , boniest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bony mean? 

• BONY (adjective)
  The adjective BONY has 3 senses:

1. being very thin

2. composed of or containing bone

3. having bones especially many or prominent bones

  Familiarity information: BONY used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BONY (adjective)

Comparative: bonier   
Superlative: boniest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Being very thin

Synonyms:

boney; bony; scraggly; scraggy; scrawny; skinny; underweight; weedy

Context example:

pale bony hands

Similar:

lean; thin (lacking excess flesh)

Derivation:

boniness; bonyness (extreme leanness (usually caused by starvation or disease))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Composed of or containing bone

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

bony; osseous; osteal

Context example:

osseous tissue

Pertainym:

bone (the porous calcified substance from which bones are made)

Derivation:

bone (rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Having bones especially many or prominent bones

Synonyms:

boney; bony

Context example:

bony fish

Similar:

bone (consisting of or made up of bone)

boned (having bones as specified)

bonelike (resembling bone)

strong-boned (having strong bones)

Antonym:

boneless (being without a bone or bones)

Derivation:

bone (rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates)

 Context examples 

The bony prominence of the lower part of the ischium.

(Ischial Tuberosity, NCI Thesaurus)

The bony projection from the inner wall of the modiolus that makes two and three quarter turns around the modiolus partially dividing the cochlea cavity.

(Lamina Spiralis Ossea, NCI Thesaurus)

A disease characterized by bony deposits or the ossification of muscle tissue.

(Myositis Ossificans, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The metaphyses develop benign, bony outgrowths often capped by cartilage.

(Hereditary Multiple Exostoses, NCI Thesaurus)

The bony anterior part of the roof of the mouth separating the nose from the mouth.

(Hard palate, NCI Thesaurus)

Only a few shreds of clothes could still be distinguished, but there were the remains of boots upon the bony feet, and it was very clear that the dead man was a European.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Lateral displacement of the great toe, producing deformity of the first metatarsophalangeal joint with callous, bursa, or bunion formation over the bony prominence.

(Hallux Valgus, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The front, bony part of the roof of the mouth.

(Hard palate, NCI Dictionary)

One of three (Inferior, Middle, Superior) paired bony shelves located within the nasal cavity through which inhaled air is taken into the nasopharynx.

(Nasal Turbinate, NCI Thesaurus)

A bony tooth-like process projecting from the second cervical vertebra.

(Odontoid Process, NCI Thesaurus)