bare-bones

bare-bones (comparative more bare-bones, superlative most bare-bones)

1. Minimalist; lacking that which is not essential.

   Meals on early space flights were bare-bones affairs; able to supply nutrition, but severely lacking in palatability.

2. (computing) Describes a computer sold pre-assembled, but without certain essential components, often a processor, memory, and hard drive.

   Emil bought a bare-bones rig and a new CPU at the computer show, then popped in his old hard drive.

• (only the essentials): no-frills, skeleton
• See also Thesaurus:bare-bones

• barebone