boning

Pluralbonings (some meanings)

1. 1
   noununcountable

   The act of cutting the bones out of meat or fish.

   Like taking the seeds out of a fruit before you eat it.

   The boning of the salmon left clean, ready-to-cook fillets.

   She learned careful boning from the head butcher at the market.

   Similarfilleting, deboning

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle of bone. Use it after am, is, are, was or were, or to name the action.

   She is boning the trout for tonight's dinner.

   He kept boning chickens all afternoon.

   Note
3. 3
   nounslangvulgarcountable

   A rude slang word for having sex.

   He kept joking about a boning all through dinner.

   She told him to stop bragging about the boning.

   Similarshag, screw, bonk

   Note
4. 4
   noununcountable

   The way the bones in a body are built and shaped.

   Like the frame of a house that holds everything in shape.

   Her strong boning gave her face striking angles.

   The model's fine boning photographed beautifully.

   Note
5. 5
   noununcountable

   The stiff strips built into a corset to keep its shape.

   Like the thin rods that keep an umbrella stretched open.

   The corset's boning dug into her ribs.

   She replaced the broken boning with new strips.

6. 6
   noununcountable

   Adding crushed animal bone to soil to help crops grow.

   Like adding plant food to a garden so it grows better.

   The boning of the field improved the next harvest.

   Farmers swore by boning to enrich tired soil.

   Note
7. 7
   noununcountable

   Checking that ground or a surface is level using special sighting rods.

   Like using a ruler to make sure a shelf is straight.

   The workers finished the boning before laying the pipe.

   Careful boning made sure the path sloped evenly.

   Similarleveling

   Note
8. 8
   nouncountable

   A curse made by pointing a bone at someone, used in some Aboriginal Australian traditions.

   He blamed his sudden illness on a boning.

   The villagers feared a boning more than any weapon.

   Similarcurse, hex

   Note

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