The framework of bones that supports and protects the body of a person or animal. It can also mean the basic structure of something, like the “skeleton” of a plan.
“Skeleton” comes from Late Latin “sceleton,” from Greek “skeletón (sōma),” meaning “dried-up (body).” The Greek word originally referred to a dried or mummified body, not just the bones. Over time, the meaning narrowed to the bony framework itself.
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