# boning

Pronunciation: say "BOH-ning" US /ˈboʊnɪŋ/, UK /ˈbəʊnɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The removal of bones from meat or fish; filleting.
   - Simple: The act of cutting the bones out of meat or fish.
   - _The boning of the lamb shoulder required a sharp, flexible knife._
   - _Proper boning leaves the fillet intact without tearing the flesh._
3. A vulgar slang term for an act of sexual intercourse. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A rude slang word for having sex.
   - _The movie cut away right before the boning._
   - _He couldn't stop bragging about last night's boning._
4. The structure and framework formed by the bones of the body.
   - Simple: The way the bones in a body are built and shaped.
   - _Sculptors study the boning of the face before shaping their clay._
   - _Her delicate boning was evident in her slender wrists._
5. The arrangement of stiffening strips, originally whalebone, set into a corset to give it shape.
   - Simple: The stiff strips built into a corset to keep its shape.
   - _The dressmaker checked that the boning lay flat against the bodice._
   - _Steel boning gave the gown its rigid, hourglass silhouette._
6. The fertilizing of a field by spreading bone meal over the soil.
   - Simple: Adding crushed animal bone to soil to help crops grow.
   - _Regular boning kept the pasture productive through dry years._
   - _The estate's ledgers recorded the cost of boning each spring._
7. The leveling of ground or a surface, checked by sighting across a set of boning rods.
   - Simple: Checking that ground or a surface is level using special sighting rods.
   - _The surveyor's boning showed the trench dropped two inches over its length._
   - _Accurate boning is essential before the foundation is poured._
8. The placing of a curse by pointing a bone at the victim, practiced in some Aboriginal Australian cultures; an act of pointing the bone.
   - Simple: A curse made by pointing a bone at someone, used in some Aboriginal Australian traditions.
   - _After the boning, the man reportedly sickened and died within weeks._
   - _The accused denied any knowledge of the boning that frightened the camp._

## Verb

2. Present participle of bone. — present participle and gerund of bone
   - Simple: Present participle of bone. Use it after am, is, are, was or were, or to name the action.
   - _The chef is boning a whole side of beef._
   - _Boning the fish quickly keeps the flesh from warming._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/boning (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).