# skeleton

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈskɛlɪtn/ · frequency rank #9,671

## Definitions
1. The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
2. An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.
3. A very thin person.
4. The central core of something that gives shape to the entire structure.
5. A frame that provides support to a building or other construction.
6. A client-helper procedure that communicates with a stub.
7. The vertices and edges of a polyhedron, taken collectively.
8. A very thin form of light-faced type.
9. A minimum or bare essentials.
10. The network of veins in a leaf.
11. Clipping of skeleton in the closet (“a shameful secret”).

## Etymology
From New Latin sceleton, from Ancient Greek σκελετόν (skeletón), the neuter of σκελετός (skeletós, “dried up, withered, dried body, parched, mummy”), from σκέλλω (skéllō, “dry, dry up, make dry, parch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, wither”); compare Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”).

## Easily confused with
- **Skelton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/skeleton-vs-skelton)
- **Shelton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shelton-vs-skeleton)
- **skeletal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/skeletal-vs-skeleton)

## Common misspellings (12)
`kseleton`, `sekleton`, `skeelton`, `skeleotn`, `skeletno`, `skeletonn`, `skeletton`, `skelleton`, `skelteon`, `skkeleton`, `skleeton`, `sskeleton`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/skeleton