bone structuren.
/ˈbəʊn ˌstrʌktʃə/, U.S. /ˈboʊn ˌstrək(t)ʃər/ 1. The skeleton, or part of the skeleton, of a person or animal, esp. considered in terms of its form or arrangement; the framework of bones underlying the flesh and influencing the stature or appearance of the body. Now frequently: (spec.) the structure of a person's facial bones, esp. considered as influencing the form or attractiveness of his or her face.
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the world > life > the body > structural parts > bone or bones > [noun] > structure consisting of
ossification1705
bone structure1850
1850 N.Y. Jrnl. Med. 5 338 Dr. Van Buren inquired if any member had seen ossific deposits in strictly encephaloid tumors, unconnected with bone structure, the uterus or its appendages.
1926 J. S. Huxley Ess. Pop. Sci. xviii. 278 A bone-structure in the foot which is still more or less adapted to an arboreal life.
1932 ‘P. Warwick’ Background to Primula 53 The fine soft skin which covered the beautiful bone structure of her face.
2012 Your Chickens Apr. 47/3 Its powerful bone structure and well-muscled body and legs..make it an impressive and striking bird.
2015 S. King Breaking Hollywood 3 The beautiful woman..her Titian curls swept up to emphasize her perfect bone structure.
2. The structure of bone tissue or of an individual bone.
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1851 Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 8 482 The results entirely confirming the opinion I had formed from an examination with my naked eye, namely, that there was no bone-structure whatever in the Cornish fossils.
1916 J. S. Foote Contrib. Compar. Histol. Femur. 14 But it is in birds that laminæ first become prominent as units of bone structure.
1947 W. R. Ewing Poultry Nutrition (ed. 3) 1049 As the poults grew older, the bone structure of the tibia of the poults improved.
1994 Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch 10 Nov. e2/1 The two symptoms together—lack of epiphyseal closure and the degradation of the bone structure—surprised all the researchers who took part in the study.
2001 Daily Tel. 30 May 24/4 Nutricia Bone Formula..supplies calcium citrate malate to prevent bone loss,..plus copper, magnesium and zinc to improve bone structure.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2018; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1850