A bone is a hard piece of your skeleton that gives your body shape and supports movement. Bones also protect important organs inside your body.
It comes from Old English “bān,” from Proto-Germanic “bainam,” meaning “bone.” It is a very old and basic word in the language.
We use bone metaphors constantly: “bone-dry,” “chilled to the bone,” “a bone to pick,” “funny bone.” Bones are hidden inside us, but in language they’re everywhere, standing for our deepest, hardest truths.
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