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bony

adjective
\ ˈbō-nē How to pronounce bony (audio) \
variants: or less commonly boney
bonier; boniest

Definition of bony

1a : consisting of bone
b : resembling bone
2a : full of bones a bony piece of fish
b : having prominent bones a rugged bony face
3a : skinny, scrawny
b : barren, lean
Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bony

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Examples of bony in a Sentence

a bony piece of fish that bony old horse may have been deliberately starved

Recent Examples on the Web

 Further expansion of the ribs and bony outgrowths from parts of the backbone would have eventually fully encased the trunk. — Hans-dieter Sues, Smithsonian, "How the Turtle Got Its Shell, With Apologies to Aesop," 20 Aug. 2019 Swimmer's ear happens when constant exposure to cold water irritates tissues in the ear canal, causing bony growths to form. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Neanderthals suffered from a veritable epidemic of swimmer’s ear," 19 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bony.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of bony

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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More Definitions for bony

bony

adjective
How to pronounce bony (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of bony

: resembling bone
: full of bones
: having large or noticeable bones

See the full definition for bony in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bony

adjective
\ ˈbō-nē How to pronounce bony (audio) \
bonier; boniest

Kids Definition of bony

1 : of or relating to bone a bony growth
2 : like bone especially in hardness bony material
3 : having bones and especially large or noticeable bones a bony fish bony hands
4 : very thin He is tall and bony.

bony

adjective
variants: also boney \ ˈbō-​nē How to pronounce boney (audio) \
bonier; boniest

Medical Definition of bony

: consisting of or resembling bone bony prominences of the skull

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More from Merriam-Webster on bony

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with bony

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bony

Spanish Central: Translation of bony

Nglish: Translation of bony for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bony for Arabic Speakers

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