skeleton
skeleton — 形容詞
1. describing a group, service, or object that has been reduced to the smallest pos
最基本的
形容規模縮減到最小或極度瘦削的
describing a group, service, or object that has been reduced to the smallest possible size or essential form; also used to describe a person or body that looks extremely thin like a set of bones.
The hospital runs a skeleton staff on weekends with only two nurses on duty.
這家醫院週末只維持最基本的人力，只有兩名護理人員值班。
collocation: skeleton staff
A skeleton key opens many locks because it is filed to a basic shape.
萬能鑰匙因為被磨成最基本的形狀，所以能打開多種鎖具。
collocation: skeleton key
The railway company kept a skeleton service running during the strike.
鐵路公司在罷工期間維持最基本的路線服務。
The factory operated with a skeleton crew during the holiday shutdown, running just one assembly line.
這家工廠在年節停工期間只留下最少人力運作，僅開一條生產線。
文法句型
skeleton + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — this sense of skeleton cannot stand alone after a linking verb (e.g., 'the staff is skeleton' is incorrect).
常見錯誤
skeleton — 名詞
1. the complete set of bones joined together inside a person's or creature's body,
骨架；骨骼
人或動物體內支撐身體的骨骼結構
the complete set of bones joined together inside a person's or creature's body, giving it shape and protecting its organs.
Archaeologists found a complete human skeleton buried beneath the temple floor.
考古學家在寺廟地板下方發現了一具完整的人類骨骼。
The museum display showed a dinosaur skeleton over twenty metres long.
博物館展示了一具超過二十公尺長的恐龍骨架。
collocation: dinosaur skeleton
Calcium-rich foods help keep your skeleton strong as you grow older.
富含鈣質的食物有助於隨著年齡增長保持骨骼強健。
The X-ray revealed no damage to Hiro's skeleton after the car accident.
X光檢查顯示 Hiro 的骨骼在車禍後沒有任何損傷。
Students in biology class studied the skeleton of a frog to learn about bone structure.
生物課的學生透過研究青蛙的骨架來了解骨骼結構。
用法筆記
Unlike 'bone' (which refers to a single piece), 'skeleton' refers to the entire connected framework of bones as one system.
常見錯誤
2. the simplest version or main supporting structure of a plan, building, written w
基本架構
事物最基礎的框架或結構
the simplest version or main supporting structure of a plan, building, written work, or organization, onto which extra information or parts can be placed later.
Quinn has written a skeleton of the report, but the details still need filling in.
Quinn 已經寫好了報告的骨架，但細節還有待補充。
pattern: skeleton + of + [document]
The steel skeleton of the skyscraper was completed ahead of schedule.
摩天大樓的鋼骨結構提前完工了。
The team agreed on a skeleton peace proposal before the full talks the following week.
團隊在全面會談前一週就和平提案的基本架構達成了共識。
Even a simple skeleton outline helped Layla organize her essay much more clearly.
即使是簡單的骨架大綱也幫助 Layla 把文章組織得更清楚。
- framework
very close in meaning; skeleton emphasizes minimum form, framework may be more complete
- outline
used mainly for plans and writing; suggests a sketch rather than a structural frame
- structure
broader; can refer to anything organized, not just the minimum
- backbone
more figurative; suggests the central supporting element
- embellishment
extra details added to the basic structure
- full version
the completed form with all details
文法句型
skeleton + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is commonly used in academic, business, and construction contexts. A 'skeleton crew' or 'skeleton staff' uses the adjective sense of skeleton (reduced to minimum), not this noun sense, though the idea is related.
常見錯誤
3. a small lightweight sled designed for one person who lies face-down and races he
骨架雪橇
單人俯臥式滑雪競速用的輕型雪橇
a small lightweight sled designed for one person who lies face-down and races head-first down a narrow ice-covered track.
Mateo polished the metal runners of his skeleton the night before the competition.
Mateo 在比賽前一晚仔細打磨了他那具骨架雪橇的金屬滑刀。
Unlike a luge, a skeleton is ridden face-down with the racer's head pointing forward.
與無舵雪橇不同，骨架雪橇是俯臥滑行，選手頭部朝前。
contrast: skeleton vs. luge
The new carbon-fibre skeleton weighed less than fifteen kilograms.
這具全新的碳纖維骨架雪橇重量不到十五公斤。
Each Olympic skeleton costs thousands of dollars to design and build.
每具奧運級的骨架雪橇造價高達數千美元。
- sled
general term; skeleton is a specific type of sled
用法筆記
Do not confuse with 'luge' (ridden feet-first on the back) or 'bobsleigh' (a team event in an enclosed sled). Skeleton is the fastest of the three sliding sports.
常見錯誤
4. the winter Olympic sport in which a person rides a skeleton sled down a steep ic
鋼架雪車
冬季奧運俯臥式雪車競速運動
the winter Olympic sport in which a person rides a skeleton sled down a steep ice track at very high speed, lying face-down.
Skeleton returned to the Winter Olympics in 2002 after a fifty-four year break.
鋼架雪車在相隔五十四年後，於2002年重返冬季奧運。
Élise was the first from her country to compete in skeleton at the Olympics.
Élise 是該國第一位參加奧運鋼架雪車項目的運動員。
Athletes in skeleton can reach speeds of over 130 kilometres per hour.
鋼架雪車選手的速度可以超過每小時一百三十公里。
Skeleton is a dangerous sport because the rider's head is very near the ice.
鋼架雪車是很危險的運動，因為選手的頭部非常靠近冰面。
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun referring to a sport, skeleton takes no article ('She does skeleton'), unlike the sled sense which is countable ('She bought a skeleton').
常見錯誤
5. a person or animal that is extremely thin, usually because of illness, hunger, o
骨瘦如柴的人
因疾病或飢餓而極度消瘦的人或動物
a person or animal that is extremely thin, usually because of illness, hunger, or long-term neglect.
After months without proper food, the stray dog was little more than a skeleton.
那隻流浪狗好幾個月沒吃飽，瘦得只剩一副骨頭架子。
pattern: little more than a skeleton
The prisoners of war looked like walking skeletons when the camp was finally freed.
戰俘營解放時，那些戰俘看起來就像一具具會走路的骷髏。
The doctor was worried that Shanti had turned into a skeleton from the eating disorder.
醫生擔心 Shanti 因為飲食失調已經瘦成皮包骨了。
Rescue workers found a skeleton of a cat in the corner of an abandoned house.
救援人員在廢棄房屋的角落裡發現了一隻骨瘦如柴的貓。
- bag of bones
informal idiom with the same meaning; more colourful
- emaciated person
more clinical and formal; less emotional
- scarecrow
informal; compares the person to a thin object in a field
- fat person
direct opposite
- well-fed person
emphasizes health rather than weight
文法句型
like a skeleton
a skeleton of a person/animal
用法筆記
This sense carries a strong emotional tone of pity or horror. It is often used with 'like a' in similes ('looks like a skeleton'). Avoid using it casually to describe someone who is simply slender.
常見錯誤
6. a shocking, shameful, or embarrassing fact from a person's or family's past that
家醜
不願意被人知道的醜聞或隱私
a shocking, shameful, or embarrassing fact from a person's or family's past that they try to keep hidden from others.
Many families have a skeleton in the cupboard they prefer not to discuss.
幾乎每個家庭都有一些不想讓人知道的家醜。
idiom: a skeleton in the cupboard
The candidate's past contained a skeleton that the newspaper was eager to expose.
那位候選人的過去藏著一個報紙急著想挖出來的祕密。
Soraya felt relieved after finally telling her husband about the skeleton in her family history.
Soraya 最後終於把她家族歷史中不可告人的祕密告訴了丈夫，頓時感到如釋重負。
Though the old house looked charming, its new owners found a skeleton in the closet.
那棟老房子看起來很迷人，但新屋主很快就發現了一個不可告人的祕密。
- dark secret
more general; skeleton implies a shameful family or personal history
- shameful secret
emphasizes the embarrassment; very close in meaning
文法句型
skeleton in the closet/cupboard
skeleton in someone's past
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed expression 'a skeleton in the closet' (American English) or 'a skeleton in the cupboard' (British English). The phrase cannot be reduced to just 'skeleton' to mean a secret.