cranium

[ krey-nee-uhm ]

noun

, plural cra·ni·ums, cra·ni·a [krey, -nee-, uh].

1. the skull of a vertebrate.
2. the part of the skull that encloses the brain.

cranium

/ ˈkreɪnɪəm /

noun

1. the skull of a vertebrate
2. the part of the skull that encloses the brain Nontechnical namebrainpan

cranium

/ krā′nē-əm /

, Plural craniums

1. The vertebrate skull, especially the part that encloses and protects the brain.

cranium

1. The part of the skull that encloses the brain .

Word History and Origins

Origin of cranium¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English craneum, from Medieval Latin crānium, from Greek krāníon “skull”; akin to kerato-, cerebrum, cornu, horn

Word History and Origins

Origin of cranium¹

C16: from Medieval Latin crānium skull, from Greek kranion

Example Sentences

Trump’s cranium seemed ready to explode.

From Los Angeles Times

The creature’s cranium was like a dark cave with no exit!

From Literature

The head had been crushed, possibly by rockfall, relatively soon after death -- after the brain decomposed but before the cranium filled with dirt -- and then compacted further by tens of thousands of years of sediment.

From Science Daily

A necessary but often-overlooked cranium cover.

From Los Angeles Times

In vertebrates, where the comparatively large brain is enclosed in a compact cranium, another space-saving mechanism plays a major role: myelination.

From Science Daily