boning

Boning is a term with several related uses across cooking, garment construction, and slang. In culinary contexts, boning refers to removing bones from meat or fish. A boning knife or scalpel is used to cut along bones, separate flesh, and trim joints. Deboning is common in fillets, poultry, game, and fish; techniques vary by cut and species. Proper deboning minimizes waste and preserves meat quality; safety includes keeping the blade sharp and directing force away from the uncut hand.

In garment construction, boning means rigid inserts that provide structure and shape, usually in corsets, bras, and bodices. Modern boning is typically plastic or stainless steel; channels are sewn into fabric to hold the stays in place. Boning supports contouring, reduces wrinkling, and improves fit. Care includes avoiding excessive bending of steel and following washing instructions that apply to the specific garment.

Boning also appears in informal slang to describe sexual intercourse. It is a colloquial term and can be considered vulgar or offensive in many contexts, so its use is typically restricted to casual speech and may be inappropriate in formal writing.

Historically, deboning techniques date back centuries in cooking, with refinements in tool design over time. In fashion, the use of bone and later steel or plastic stays has a long history in shaping garments, particularly corsetry, where boning remains a key element for structure and silhouette.