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skeleton in the closet

skel·e·ton in the clos·et
S s

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [skel-i-tn in stressed th ee kloz-it]
    • /ˈskɛl ɪ tn ɪn stressed ði ˈklɒz ɪt/
    • /ˈskel.ɪ.tən ɪn ðə ˈklɒzɪt/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [skel-i-tn in stressed th ee kloz-it]
    • /ˈskɛl ɪ tn ɪn stressed ði ˈklɒz ɪt/

Definitions of skeleton in the closet words

  • noun skeleton in the closet Anatomy, Zoology. the bones of a human or an animal considered as a whole, together forming the framework of the body. 1
  • noun skeleton in the closet any of various structures forming a rigid framework in an invertebrate. 1
  • noun skeleton in the closet an emaciated person or animal. 1
  • noun skeleton in the closet a supporting framework, as of a leaf, building, or ship. 1
  • noun skeleton in the closet an outline, as of a literary work: the skeleton of the plot. 1
  • noun skeleton in the closet something reduced to its essential parts. 1
See all 11 definitions of skeleton in the closet

Information block about the term

Origin of skeleton in the closet

First appearance:

before 1570
One of the 33% oldest English words
1570-80; < New Latin < Greek: mummy, noun use of neuter of skeletós dried up, verbid of skéllein to dry

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Skeleton in the closet

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Skeleton in the closet

skeleton in the closet popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 91% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

skeleton in the closet usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

See also

Matching words

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