bones
pronunciation
How to pronounce bones in British English:
UK [bəʊnz]
How to pronounce bones in American English:
US [boʊnz]
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- Noun:
- a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
Word Origin
- bones (n.)
- plural of bone (n.). As a colloquial way to say "dice," it is attested from late 14c. As a nickname for a surgeon, it dates to 1887, short for sawbones. To make bones about something (mid-15c.) refers to bones found in soup, etc., as an obstacle to being swallowed. To feel something in one's bones "have a presentiment" is 1867, American English.
Example
- 1. My bones ache with cold just recollecting this novel .
- 2. For all its luster , gold 's past is paved with bones .
- 3. Eberth says it contains thousands of bones belonging to the dinosaur centrosaurus , which once lived near what is now the saskatchewan border .
- 4. Thank goodness you can 't break dream bones !
- 5. Other bones can provide additional clues .