skeleton

(noun) something reduced to its minimal form. Examples: "The battalion was a mere skeleton of its former self." "The bare skeleton of a novel."

(noun) a scandal that is kept secret. Synonyms: skeleton in the closet, skeleton in the cupboard. Example: "There must be a skeleton somewhere in that family's closet."

(noun) the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal. Synonyms: skeletal system, frame, systema skeletale.

(noun) the internal supporting structure that gives an artifact its shape. Synonyms: skeletal frame, frame, underframe. Example: "The building has a steel skeleton."