◙ noun 1. any of the pieces of hard, whitish tissue making up the skeleton in humans and other vertebrates • 骨，骨头 »his injuries included many broken bones. 他的伤包括多处骨折。 »a shoulder bone. 肩胛骨。 (one's bones)one's body • 身体，骨骼 »he hauled his tired bones upright. 他舒展疲惫的身体。 (bones)a corpse or skeleton • 尸体，骨骸 »the diggers turned up the bones of a fifteen-year-old girl. 挖掘者挖出一个15岁女孩的尸体。 (bones)(figurative)the basic or essential framework of something • [喻] 基本结构，基本框架 »you need to put some flesh on the bones of your idea. 你还得往你的基本构思里加点实在的东西。 a bone of an animal with meat on it fed to a dog • （喂狗的）带肉骨头 2. The substance of bones is formed by specialized cells (osteoblasts) which secrete around themselves a material containing calcium salts (which provide hardness and strength in compression) and collagen fibres (which provide tensile strength). Many bones have a central cavity containing marrow 3. [mass noun] the calcified material of which bones consist • 骨质 »an earring bone. 骨质耳环。 a substance similar to this such as ivory, dentine or whalebone • 象牙，牙质，鲸鱼骨 [常作 bones] a thing made or formerly made of such a substance, such as a strip of stiffening for a foundation garment or strapless dress • （支撑衣服用的）鲸骨 [一般作 bones] (in southern Africa) one of a set of carved dice or bones used by traditional healers in divination • （南部非洲）占卜用的骨头 ◙ verb 1. [with obj.] remove the bones from (meat or fish) before cooking it • 剔骨 2. [with obj.] [US vulgar slang] (of a man) have sexual intercourse with (someone) • [美，粗俚] （男人）与（某人）性交 3. [noobj.] (bone up on)[informal] study (a subject) intensively, typically in preparation for something • [非正式] （尤指为应付某事而）苦学；临时抱佛脚 »she boned up on languages she had learned long ago and went back to New Guinea. 她临时抱佛脚温习了一下很久以前学的语言然后就回了新几内亚。
【IDIOMS】
◘ bone of contention 1. a subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement • 争端的焦点 »the examination system has long been a serious bone of contention. 考试制度一直就是大家热烈争论的焦点。 ◘ close to (或 near) the bone 1. (of a remark) penetrating and accurate to the point of causing hurt or discomfort • （言语）伤人的，令人不舒服的 (of a joke or story) likely to cause offence because near the limit of decency • （笑话、故事）近乎下流的 ◘ cut (或 pare) something to the bone 1. reduce something to the bare minimum • 使最小化 »costs will have to be cut to the bone. 成本必须降到最低程度。 ◘ have a bone to pick with someone 1. [informal] have reason to disagree or be annoyed with someone • [非正式] 同…有争端要解决，对…有理由怀恨 ◘ in one's bones 1. felt, understood, believed, or known very deeply or instinctively • 深深地（或本能地）感到，理解，相信，知道 »something good was bound to happen; he could feel in his bones. 他本能地觉得一定会有好事发生。 ◘ make no bones about 1. have no hesitation in stating or dealing with (something), however unpleasant, awkward, or distasteful it is • 对…毫不犹豫，对…直言不讳 »he makes no bones about his feelings towards the militants. 他直言不讳地说出了自己对激进分子们的态度。 ◘ not have a —— bone in one's body 1. have not the slightest trace of the specified quality • 没有一点（某种特性） »she hasn't got a sympathetic bone in her body. 她一点同情心都没有。 ◘ off the bone 1. (of meat or fish) having had the bone or bones removed before being cooked, served, or sold • （肉、鱼）无骨的 ◘ on the bone 1. (of meat or fish) having the bone or bones left in when cooked, served, or sold • （肉、鱼）带骨的 ◘ point the bone at 1. [Austral.] (of an Aboriginal) cast a spell on (someone) so as to cause their sickness or death • [澳大利亚] （土著）以凶符骨指向…咒其倒霉（或丧命） (figurative)betray (someone); let (someone) down • [喻] 背叛；辜负 ◘ throw the bones 1. [S. African] use divining bones to foretell the future or discover the source of a difficulty by studying the pattern they form when thrown on the ground • [南非] 占卜 ◘ to the bone 1. (of a wound) so deep as expose a person's bone • 及骨，到骨头 »his thigh had been axed open to the bone. 他的大腿被斧头砍伤及骨头。 »his contempt cut her to the bone. 他的轻视对她伤害极深。 (especially of cold) affecting a person in a very penetrating way • （尤指感冒）给某人带来极深影响 2. see to one's bones below • 见下面 to one's bones ◘ to one's bones (或 to the bone) 1. used to emphasize that a person has a specified quality or experience in an overwhelming or very fundamental way • 深入骨髓，彻底地，到极点 »he's a cop to the bone. 他是个地地道道的警察。 ◘ what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh (或 blood) 1. (proverb)a person's behaviour or characteristics are determined by their heredity • [谚] 江山易改，本性难移 ◘ work one's fingers to the bone 1. work very hard • 不住手地工作；勤奋工作
【语源】
1. Old English bán, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch been and German Bein