bone

[bohn] /boʊn/
noun
1.
Anatomy, Zoology.
  1. one of the structures composing the skeleton of a vertebrate.
  2. the hard connective tissue forming the substance of the skeleton of most vertebrates, composed of a collagen-rich organic matrix impregnated with calcium, phosphate, and other minerals.
2.
such a structure from an edible animal, usually with meat adhering to it, as an article of food:
Pea soup should be made with a ham bone.
3.
any of various similarly hard or structural animal substances, as ivory or whalebone.
4.
something made of or resembling such a substance.
5.
a small concession, intended to pacify or quiet; a conciliatory bribe or gift:
The administration threw the student protesters a couple of bones, but refused to make any basic changes in the curriculum or requirements.
6.
bones.
  1. the skeleton.
  2. a body:
    Let his bones rest in peace.
  3. Games Slang. dice.
  4. (initial capital letter) Mr. Bones.
  5. a simple rhythm instrument consisting of two sometimes curved bars or short strips of bone, ivory, wood, or the like, held between the fingers of one hand and clacked together.
7.
the color of bone; ivory or off-white.
8.
a flat strip of whalebone or other material for stiffening corsets, petticoats, etc.; stay.
9.
Games Slang. a domino.
verb (used with object), boned, boning.
10.
to remove the bones from:
to bone a turkey.
11.
to put whalebone or another stiffener into (clothing).
12.
Agriculture. to put bone meal into (feed, fertilizer, etc.).
adverb
13.
completely; absolutely:
bone tired.
Idioms
14.
bone up, Informal. to study intensely; cram:
We're going to have to bone up for the exam.
15.
feel in one's bones, to think or feel intuitively:
She felt in her bones that it was going to be a momentous day.
16.
have a bone to pick with someone, to have cause to disagree or argue with someone:
The teacher had a bone to pick with him because his homework paper was identical with his neighbor's.
17.
make no bones about,
  1. to deal with in a direct manner; act or speak openly:
    He makes no bones about his dislike of modern music.
  2. to have no fear of or objection to.
18.
to the bone,
  1. to the essentials; to the minimum:
    The government cut social service programs to the bone.
  2. to an extreme degree; thoroughly:
    chilled to the bone.
Origin
before 900; Middle English bo(o)n, Old English bān; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon bēn, Dutch been bone, Old Norse bein bone, leg, German Bein leg (-bein bone, in compounds); < Germanic *bainan (neuter), probably orig. past participle (compare Old Irish benaid (he) hews), meaning “lopped off,” from butchering of animals; orig. in phrase *bainan astan lopped-off bone or branch (hence, “leg,” as a branch of the body); replacing *astan bone < Indo-European *Host- (> Latin os(s), Albanian asht, Avestan ast-, Hittite hast-ai), which fell together in Gmc with *astaz branch (> German Ast) < Indo-European *osdos (> Greek ózos, Armenian ost)
British Dictionary definitions for make no bones about

bone

/bəʊn/
noun
1.
any of the various structures that make up the skeleton in most vertebrates
2.
the porous rigid tissue of which these parts are made, consisting of a matrix of collagen and inorganic salts, esp calcium phosphate, interspersed with canals and small holes related adjectives osseous osteal
3.
something consisting of bone or a bonelike substance
4.
(pl) the human skeleton or body: they laid his bones to rest, come and rest your bones
5.
a thin strip of whalebone, light metal, plastic, etc, used to stiffen corsets and brassieres
6.
(pl) the essentials (esp in the phrase the bare bones): to explain the bones of a situation
7.
(pl) dice
8.
(pl) an informal nickname for a doctor
9.
close to the bone, near the bone
  1. risqué or indecent: his jokes are rather close to the bone
  2. in poverty; destitute
10.
feel in one's bones, to have an intuition of
11.
have a bone to pick, to have grounds for a quarrel
12.
make no bones about
  1. to be direct and candid about
  2. to have no scruples about
13.
(often foll by at) (Austral) point the bone
  1. to wish bad luck (on)
  2. to threaten to bring about the downfall (of)
verb (mainly transitive)
14.
to remove the bones from (meat for cooking, etc)
15.
to stiffen (a corset, etc) by inserting bones
16.
to fertilize with bone meal
17.
(taboo, slang) to have sexual intercourse with
18.
(Brit) a slang word for steal
See also bone up
Derived Forms
boneless, adjective
Word Origin
Old English bān; related to Old Norse béin, Old Frisian bēn, Old High German bein

Bône

/French bon/
noun
1.
a former name of Annaba
Word Origin and History for make no bones about

bone

n.

Old English ban "bone, tusk," from Proto-Germanic *bainam (cf. Old Frisian ben, Old Norse bein, Danish ben, German Bein). No cognates outside Germanic (the common PIE root is *os-; see osseous); the Norse, Dutch, and German cognates also mean "shank of the leg," and this is the main meaning in Modern German, but English never seems to have had this sense.

v.

especially in bone up "study," 1880s student slang, probably from "Bohn's Classical Library," a popular series in higher education published by German-born English publisher Henry George Bohn (1796-1884) as part of a broad series of "libraries" he issued from 1846, totaling 766 volumes, continued after 1864 by G. Bell & Sons.

make no bones about in Medicine

bone (bōn)
n.

  1. The dense, semirigid, porous, calcified connective tissue forming the major portion of the skeleton of most vertebrates, consisting of a dense organic matrix and an inorganic, mineral component.

  2. Any of the more than 200 anatomically distinct structures making up the human skeleton.

  3. A piece of bone.

make no bones about in Science
bone
(bōn)

  1. The hard, dense, calcified tissue that forms the skeleton of most vertebrates, consisting of a matrix made up of collagen fibers and mineral salts. There are two main types of bone structure: compact, which is solid and hard, and cancellous, which is spongy in appearance. Bone serves as a framework for the attachment of muscles and protects vital organs, such as the brain, heart, and lungs. See more at osteoblast, osteocyte.

  2. Any of the structures made of bone that constitute a skeleton, such as the femur. The human skeleton consists of 206 bones.


Slang definitions & phrases for make no bones about

make no bones about

verb phrase
  1. To be entirely candid about; to be open about; be UP-FRONT: They make no bones about what they're going to do (1548+)
  2. To show or feel no doubt or hesitation about: This spirited Labrador had no bones about venturing out

[origin unknown; the form find no bones, found by 1459, may indicate that the reference is to bones in soup or stew, which would hinder the eating, hence hold the matter up]


bone 1

noun
  1. Money; cash (1970s+ Teenagers)
  2. A dollar, esp a silver dollar (1860s+)
  3. The erect penis (mid-1800s+)
verb

(also bone away) To do the sex act; screw: Shit! he thought. He coulda been boning by now (1980s+ Students)

Related Terms

have a bone on, jawbone, tailbone


bone 2

noun

A diligent student

verb

(also bone up) To study, esp to study intensely for an examination

[College students 1880s+; fr the student's use of bohns, ''translations, ponies,'' named after Bohn's Classical Library]


Idioms and Phrases with make no bones about

make no bones about

Act or speak frankly about something, without hesitation or evasion. For example, Tom made no bones about wanting to be promoted, or Make no bones about it—she's very talented. Versions of this expression date back to the mid-1400s and the precise allusion is no longer known. Some believe it meant a boneless stew or soup that one could eat without hesitation; others relate it to dice, originally made from bones, that were thrown without hesitation or fuss.

bone

also see: