skeleton
     n 1: something reduced to its minimal form; "the battalion was a
          mere skeleton of its former self"; "the bare skeleton of
          a novel"
     2: a scandal that is kept secret; "there must be a skeleton
        somewhere in that family's closet" [syn: {skeleton in the
        closet}, {skeleton in the cupboard}]
     3: the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a
        frame for the body of an animal [syn: {skeletal system}, {frame},
         {systema skeletale}]
     4: the internal supporting structure that gives an artifact its
        shape; "the building has a steel skeleton" [syn: {skeletal
        frame}, {frame}, {underframe}]
Source: WordNet® 2.0