Meaning
A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English bon, from Old English bān (“bone, tusk; the bone of a limb”), from Proto-Germanic *bainą (“bone”), from *bainaz (“straight”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to hit, strike, beat”). Cognate with Scots bane, been, bean, bein, bain (“bone”), North Frisian bian, Biin, biinj (“bone; leg”), West Frisian bien (“bone”), Dutch been (“bone; leg”), German Low German Been, Bein (“bone”), German Bein (“leg”), German Gebein (“bones”), Swedish ben (“bone; leg”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Icelandic bein (“bone; leg”), Breton benañ (“to cut, hew”), Latin perfinēs (“break through, break into pieces, shatter”), Avestan 𐬠𐬫𐬈𐬥𐬙𐬈 (byente, “they fight, hit”). Related also to Old Norse beinn (“straight, right, favourable, advantageous, convenient, friendly, fair, keen”) (whence Middle English bain, bayne, bayn, beyn (“direct, prompt”), Scots bein, bien (“in good condition, pleasant, well-to-do, cosy, well-stocked, pleasant, keen”)), Icelandic beinn (“straight, direct, hospitable”), Norwegian bein (“straight, direct, easy to deal with”). See bain, bein.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 15 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-09-06BADEGNO
- 2026-07-15OBEFILN
- 2026-01-02NBUHEOY
- 2025-09-09NBELMDO
- 2025-07-01BEOMGNY
- 2025-05-25NPAOEBL
- 2024-11-09EBGINOY
- 2024-09-21NAWOJEB
- 2024-04-10BEOMLNW
- 2024-01-20BODNGEL
- 2023-12-06OBUHENY
- 2023-08-14EBOMGNY
+3 earlier appearances in the archive.