Etymology Map
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Skeleton

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means the framework of bones in a body

Where does the word "skeleton" come from? It comes from Greek skeleton, passing through Modern Latin before entering English (1570s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
skeleton
Greek · ancient
"mummy"
from 'skellein', to dry up: a dried-up body
2
Stage 2 of 3
sceleton
Modern Latin · 1500s
"skeleton"
anatomists such as Vesalius revived the term
3
Stage 3 of 3
skeleton
English · 1570s
"bone framework"
'skeleton in the closet' dates from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Skeleton’s story begins in Greek: skeleton meant “mummy.” From 'skellein', to dry up: a dried-up body. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Modern Latin as sceleton. Anatomists such as Vesalius revived the term. It reached English by 1570s as skeleton. 'skeleton in the closet' dates from the 1800s. Today, skeleton means the framework of bones in a body.