variants or less commonly boney
bonier; boniest
1
a
: consisting of bone
b
: resembling bone
2
a
: full of bones
a bony piece of fish
b
: having prominent bones
a rugged bony face
3

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 Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023 The climb glided easily across the scalp without tugging at our strands and didn't ever cause us any discomfort or pain (even on the bonier parts of the head). Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 1 May 2023 Then stand or sit while bending forward at the waist, pinching the soft part of the nose below the bony portion on both sides for 10 minutes. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2023 Riders follow the instructions of Redbeard (given via onboard audio), which include finding and counting gems along the shore, looking out for bony opponents in Skeleton Valley and participating in a seaworthy singalong near the finale. Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2023 Santiago Calatrava is best known for bridges that leap and budgets that soar, for vast and bony white-steel structures that evoke high-tech ruins of the future and cause fiscal ruin in the present. Curbed, 6 Dec. 2022 Its bony head armor was more like that of Asian ankyloaurs than ones from North America. Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018 There are two types of fish, cartilaginous and bony. Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2022 Other fossils included a shark-like creature that featured a bony front, along with a jawless fish that is expected to give further insight into how ancient fins eventually evolved into arms and legs. Haley Chi-Sing, Fox News, 28 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bony was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bony

Cite this Entry

“Bony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bony. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bony

adjective
bonier; boniest
1
: of or relating to bone
the bony structure of the body
2
: full of bones
3
: resembling bone especially in hardness
a bony substance
4
: having large or noticeable bones
a bony face
5

Medical Definition

bony

adjective
variants also boney
bonier; boniest
: consisting of or resembling bone
bony prominences of the skull

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