Bone

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 — 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.

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

Bone earth — 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 — 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 — a right whale.

To be upon the bones of — to attack.

To make no bones — to make no scruple; not to hesitate.

To pick a bone with — to quarrel with, as dogs quarrel over a bone; to settle a disagreement.