skeletonising

/ˌskɛləˈtənaɪzɪŋ/
verb
  1. To reduce something to its most basic or essential form, removing all unnecessary details.
    • The editor is skeletonising the long report into a one-page summary.
    • For the presentation, she skeletonised her speech to just the key points.
    • The architect skeletonised the building design to focus on the main structure.
  2. To remove the flesh from a dead body or animal, leaving only the bones.
    • Time and insects had skeletonised the small bird, leaving a perfect skeleton.
    • The forensic team skeletonised the remains to study the bones.
    • In the desert, the sun and scavengers quickly skeletonise any carcass.
  3. To strip leaves from a plant or leaf, leaving only the veins (like a skeleton).
    • She collected skeletonised leaves for her art project.
    • The caterpillars skeletonised the entire bush in just a few days.
    • Beetles skeletonised the oak leaves, leaving only the veins behind.
What does "skeletonising" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean