To be upon the bones of

Bone \Bone\ (b[=o]n; 110), n. [OE. bon, ban, AS. b[=a]n; akin to
   Icel. bein, Sw. ben, Dan. & D. been, G. bein bone, leg; cf.
   Icel. beinn straight.]
   1. (Anat.) The hard, calcified tissue of the skeleton of
      vertebrate animals, consisting very largely of calcium
      carbonate, calcium phosphate, and gelatine; as, blood and
      bone.
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   Note: Even in the hardest parts of bone there are many minute
         cavities containing living matter and connected by
         minute canals, some of which connect with larger canals
         through which blood vessels ramify.
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   2. One of the pieces or parts of an animal skeleton; as, a
      rib or a thigh bone; a bone of the arm or leg; also, any
      fragment of bony substance. (pl.) The frame or skeleton of
      the body.
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   3. Anything made of bone, as a bobbin for weaving bone lace.
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   4. pl. Two or four pieces of bone held between the fingers
      and struck together to make a kind of music.
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   5. pl. Dice.
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   6. Whalebone; hence, a piece of whalebone or of steel for a
      corset.
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   7. Fig.: The framework of anything.
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   {A bone of contention}, a subject of contention or dispute.
      

   {A bone to pick}, something to investigate, or to busy one's
      self about; a dispute to be settled (with some one).

   {Bone ash}, the residue from calcined bones; -- used for
      making cupels, and for cleaning jewelry.

   {Bone black} (Chem.), the black, carbonaceous substance into
      which bones are converted by calcination in close vessels;
      -- called also {animal charcoal}. It is used as a
      decolorizing material in filtering sirups, extracts, etc.,
      and as a black pigment. See {Ivory black}, under {Black}.
      

   {Bone cave}, a cave in which are found bones of extinct or
      recent animals, mingled sometimes with the works and bones
      of man. --Am. Cyc.

   {Bone dust}, ground or pulverized bones, used as a
      fertilizer.

   {Bone earth} (Chem.), the earthy residuum after the
      calcination of bone, consisting chiefly of phosphate of
      calcium.

   {Bone lace}, a lace made of linen thread, so called because
      woven with bobbins of bone.

   {Bone oil}, an oil obtained by heating bones (as in the
      manufacture of bone black), and remarkable for containing
      the nitrogenous bases, pyridine and quinoline, and their
      derivatives; -- also called {Dippel's oil}.

   {Bone setter}. Same as {Bonesetter}. See in the Vocabulary.
      

   {Bone shark} (Zool.), the basking shark.

   {Bone spavin}. See under {Spavin}.

   {Bone turquoise}, fossil bone or tooth of a delicate blue
      color, sometimes used as an imitation of true turquoise.
      

   {Bone whale} (Zool.), a right whale.

   {To be upon the bones of}, to attack. [Obs.]

   {To make no bones}, to make no scruple; not to hesitate.
      [Low]

   {To pick a bone with}, to quarrel with, as dogs quarrel over
      a bone; to settle a disagreement. [Colloq.]
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