bone of contention
Use Bone of contention in a sentencebone of contention
noun
a subject, cause, or focal point of a dispute: The terms of the old man's will were a bone of contention to his survivors.
Origin:
1705–15
1705–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To bone of contention
Collins
World English Dictionary
| bone of contention | |
| —n | |
| the grounds or subject of a dispute | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Bone of contention
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
bone of contention
Main issue of a disagreement; something to quarrel about. For example, Grandfather's will was a bone of contention for the whole family. This expression alludes to two dogs fighting (contending) over a single bone. In slightly different guise, bone of dissension, it was used figuratively in the 16th century and took its present form in the early 1700s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Now it appears that the real bone of contention is the aim of proposed cuts in tariffs on manufactured goods.
The financing of agricultural import supports became an enduring bone of contention in transatlantic and global trade relations.
One potential bone of contention is with medical monitoring.
The cause of the four-limbed locomotion, however, is a bone of contention among the researchers.
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