bone作“骨头”解,指躯体的组成部分时,是可数名词; 作“骨质”解,指骨头的组成成分时,是不可数名词,作“骨骼”“身体”“尸体”解时,常用复数形式。

a bag of bones
骨瘦如柴的人或物 a very thin person or animal
The cat had not been fed for weeks and was just a bag of bones.这只猫几个星期没喂食了,都瘦成皮包骨头了。
If you don't eat more, you'll soon be a bag of bones.你再不多吃一些,你将骨瘦如柴。

a bone of contention
有争执的问题 subject about which there is disagreement
What is the real bone of contention?真正的争议点是什么?
The island has been a bone of contention between our two countries.多年来,那个岛屿一直是我们两国之间争执的焦点。
The real bone of contention between the owners and the strikers is not higher wages but better working conditions.业主和罢工者之间的争议点不是要提高工资,而是要改善工作条件。

be chilled〔frozen〕 to the bone
冷得刺骨 very cold
We went to build a snowman but before it was half finished I was chilled to the bone.我们去堆雪人,但还未堆完一半时,我已感到寒气刺骨了。

bone dry
十分干燥 completely dry
Make sure your hair is bone dry before you go out into the cold weather.一定得让你的头发干透,然后再到外面寒冷的气候中去。

close to〔near〕 the bone
1.(言语不客气、不圆滑地)揭露真相 (of a remark, question, etc.) unkindly or tactlessly revealing the truth about sb/sth
Some of his comments about her appearance were a bit close to the bone.他对她外貌的一些评论有点太露骨了。
2.(玩笑、故事等)近乎猥亵,有可能冒犯某些人的 (of a story, joke, etc.) almost indecent; likely to offend some people
Some scenes in the play are rather near the bone.这个剧里有些情节相当猥亵。

cut〔pare〕 sth to the bone
大幅度地减少某事物 reduce sth considerably or drastically
The bus service has been cut to the bone.公共汽车公司已经削减到最低限度。
Our budget has been pared to the bone.我们的预算已削减到最低限度。
We cut our prices to the bone but still couldn't sell enough to recover our costs.我们把价格压到最低限度,但是仍然不能收回成本。

feel〔know〕 in one's bones
凭直觉确信 believe strongly that sth is true or will happen, though without proof
He felt in his bones he could do it.他确信他能干这件事。
She's going to phone tonight!I can feel it in my bones.她今天夜里会打电话来的!我本能地感觉到这一点。

make no bones about
对某事物坦率; 易于接受; 对做某事不犹豫 be frank about sth; admit sth readily; do not hesitate to do sth He made no bones about his extreme left-wing views.他毫不隐讳自己极左的观点。
She makes no bones about her prejudice against them.她毫不隐讳自己对他们的偏见。
They made no bones about discipline and work in the concentration camp.他们不隐瞒集中营中有严厉的纪律和强体力劳动。
She made no bones about pointing out his dishonesty.她毫不含糊地指出他不老实。
He made no bones about saying what he wanted and we told him to take it easy.他直截了当地说出了他的要求,但我们劝他不要操之过急。
They dismissed him and made no bones about it.他们毫不犹豫地把他辞退了。

work one's fingers to the bone
拼命地干 work very hard
She was forced to work her fingers to the bone.她被迫苦干。
I'll work my fingers to the bone till I pay back all my debts.我要拼命地干活直到把欠款还清。
I intend to go at my profession in earnest, and work my fingers to the bone.我要认真搞好我的专业,我准备大干一场。

The dog was chewing a bone.狗在啃一根骨头。
Throw the poor dog a bone.扔根骨头给那条可怜的狗。
A bone stuck in his throat.一根骨头梗在他喉咙里。
The sword bit to the bone.利剑刺到了骨头。
The nearer the bone the sweeter the flesh.越是贴骨的肉越香。
There wasn't much meat left on the bone.骨头上没剩多少肉了。
Don't try to eat the fish bone.别费劲啃鱼骨头。
Put the fish bones on the side of the plate.把鱼刺放在盘子边上。
This fish has a lot of bones in it.这种鱼刺很多。
The archeologists found fragments of bone in the burial chamber.考古学家在墓穴中发现了碎骨片。
Bone decays far more slowly than flesh.骨头腐烂得远比肌肉慢。
The first stage of the operation was to join up the bones.手术的第一步是把骨头接上。
He broke a bone in his leg and the doctor set it.他腿部骨折,医生把它接好了。
An X-ray determined that no bones were broken.经X光测定,没有发生骨折。
Her bones were laid to rest.她的尸骨已下葬。
Many soldiers left their bones on the moor.许多士兵曝尸荒野。
The system was built on the dead bones of the pioneers.这个制度是建筑在先驱者累累白骨之上的。
If he drinks so much he won't make old bones.假如他如此贪杯,他将不会长寿。
Let me rest my weary bones for a minute.让我疲乏的身子稍稍休息一下。
The poor horse looked all skin and bone.这匹马瘦得可怜。
What is bred in the bone will not come out of the flesh.本性难移。
Lying is in his bones.他本性好撒谎。
I've got a bone to pick with you.Why have you been spreading these rumours about me?我对你有意见,你为什么散布我的谣言?
She's very attractive; she's got good bone structure.她极富魅力,她的身段十分优美。
He concentrates on the bone and muscle of his tale.他集中全力构思故事的结构与内容。

下面两个短语意思不同:
a bone of the dog
一根狗骨头
a bone of the dog's
一根狗啃的骨头

1.bone可和动词的过去分词或现在分词构成半连写复合词,这时bone相当于very much to the bone(极端的〔地〕,非常的〔地〕)。例如:
Bone-frightened,I waited for him.在极度的恐惧中,我等待着他的到来。
Sometimes sick and often bone-tired, he nevertheless continued to send cheery communiques to his friends back home.他有时生病并感到很累,可他还是不断地写信回去,把喜讯带给家乡的老朋友。
The bone-pounding heat of summer and the Japanese bomber left us.酷热的夏天和日本人的轰炸都过去了。
2.bone还可用作动词。例如:
bone a chicken剔去鸡骨头; bone a piece of beef剔去一块牛肉的骨头。
Will you bone the fish for me?你能帮我剔去鱼骨吗?
She could have boned up for it.她本可以临时抱佛脚好好温课迎考的。
I'm boning up pretty hard,I graduate this term, you know.我现在学习十分努力,你知道,这学期我快要毕业了。

［词源］  ＜中古英语ban(骨)