bare bones

bare bones

1. noun The essential and most elementary parts of something; a general outline or summary. Please don't go through each line item in the budget—just give me the bare bones.
2. adjective Minimally furnished or adorned. The apartment is pretty bare bones, but rent is cheap, and I don't spend much time there, so I don't mind.
See also: bare, bone
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bare-bones

Cliché limited; stripped down; lacking refinements or extras. This one is the bare-bones model. It has no accessories at all.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

bare bones

The mere essentials or plain, unadorned framework of something, as in This outline gives just the bare bones of the story; details will come later. This phrase transfers the naked skeleton of a body to figurative use. [c. 1900]
See also: bare, bone
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

the bare bones

COMMON The bare bones of something are its most basic parts or details. We worked out the bare bones of a deal. We needed to strip the flat down to its bare bones. It was a terrific engineering and architectural challenge. Note: You can use bare-bones before a noun. The mayor will have to slash the city's already bare-bones budget.
See also: bare, bone
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

the bare bones

the basic facts about something, without any detail.
See also: bare, bone
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the bare ˈbones (of something)

the main or basic facts of a matter: I had so little time that I could only tell him the bare bones of the story and had to supply the details later.
See also: bare, bone
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • high
  • high, wide, and handsome
  • wear (one's) apron high
  • bummer
  • angle
  • angling
  • mickey mouse
  • rear end
  • garbage
  • fire and brimstone
References in periodicals archive
Helen Burrows was awarded the prize for 'Audience Participation' and Bare Bones were very proud to be a part of the conference.
Bare Bones take part in London dance and workshop
Gateacre School took part in the Bare Bones Tour of Liverpool as part of this year's Hallowe'en Lantern Parade
GATEACRE School drama students [...]
"We're also down to the bare bones through injuries and things, which doesn't help.
Durham down to the bare bones
We are definitely down to the bare bones once again but we've managed to perform pretty well in similar circumstances over the last few weeks," he said.
SCOTTISH THIRD DIVISION
"We're really down to the bare bones for Monday, so it's time to roll our sleeves up and give that extra 10-15 per cent against Brentford.
Mig rescues Phil's 9 men
That is to say, the bare bones of the craft can be taught: the concepts of design and construction; the idea of making dance images; the rhythm and continuity of phrasing; the particular, almost kinetic, use of stasis.
Attitudes
"I think it's a man thing to cook meat, you know?" said Steve Staten, manager of Bare Bones Pit Bar-B-Q.
Bare Bones Pit Bar-B-Q
municipal offices were given what bare bones information staff had available and were referred to the ELNOS business resource centre for more assistance.
Cottage lots project churning new spending activity
In 'Bare Bones,' she has learned how to balance the personal life of the protagonist with the action sequences.
Bare Bones
In this paper, the author defends the Bare Bones Theory, according to which sentences that contain demonstratives are evaluated relative to contexts that include demonstrata.
Philosophical Review
The "bare bones" PC-M6100E kit is powered by an Eden 600MHz CPU and boasts a CLE266 + VT8235 chipset with sound and graphics on board.
E-Lets PC-M6100E
Produced by ex-Clash Mick Jones, Up The Bracket bristles with precocious licks, some well-crafted melodies, a larder full of La's attitude, and just enough bare bones originality to be intriguing.
Libertines, Up The Bracket
'We were again down to the bare bones through injury and the 11 players on the pitch were tremendous.
Football: Just the tonic for Davenport
Bare Bones Software, the people who brought us BBEdit, slimmed down their professional editor and made one that fits the needs of the rest of us.
bobdotcom: Little Mac Corner