a bag of bones

bag of bones

1. A person or animal that is emaciated to the point that bones can be seen protruding from the skin. The old, abandoned dog looked like a bag of bones after living on the streets for so long. Poor Dave, he looked like a bag of bones when he was done with his cancer treatment. Has Jane been OK since the accident? She looked like a bag of bones the last time I saw her.

2. A disparaging term for a very old person, especially one who has a frail appearance. That old bag of bones shook her fist at me for walking on her lawn again! Ugh, what is that old bag of bones complaining about today? A: "What are you doing down here?" B: "The boss asked me to help some old bag of bones with her walker."

See also: bag, bone, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bag of bones

an extremely skinny person or animal with bones showing. (The skin is the figurative bag.) I've lost so much weight that I'm just turning into a bag of bones. Get that old bag of bones off the racetrack!

See also: bag, bone, of

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

a bag of bones

If you describe someone as a bag of bones, you mean that they are extremely thin. Physically, she seemed lighter suddenly — a bag of bones in his arms.

See also: bag, bone, of

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

a bag of bones

an emaciated person or animal. Compare with be skin and bone at skin.

See also: bag, bone, of

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

a ˌbag of ˈbones

(informal) a very thin person or animal: She refused to eat until eventually she was a bag of bones.

See also: bag, bone, of

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017