Skeleton
A scandal that is kept secret
Examples
There must be a skeleton somewhere in that family's closet
The hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal
Type of
Has parts
Part of
Derivation
The internal supporting structure that gives an artifact its shape
Type of
Examples
The building has a steel skeleton
Something reduced to its minimal form
Examples
The battalion was a mere skeleton of its former self
The bare skeleton of a novel