bare bones

plural noun

1. the irreducible minimum; the most essential components:

   Reduce this report to its bare bones. There is nothing left of the town but the bare bones—a couple of stores, a church, and a few houses.

bare-bones

adjective

1. basic or simple; no-frills

Other Word Forms

• bare-bones adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bare bones¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Idioms and Phrases

The mere essentials or plain, unadorned framework of something, as in This outline gives just the bare bones of the story; details will come later . This phrase transfers the naked skeleton of a body to figurative use. [c. 1900]

Quiz

Q: Fill in the blank: "Salchipapas" is a portmanteau of the Spanish words for ______ and ______.

• salt and potatoes
• sausage and French fries
• sardines and French fries

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