skull

American  

[skuhl] / skʌl /

noun

1. the bony framework of the head, enclosing the brain and supporting the face; the skeleton of the head.

2. the head as the center of knowledge and understanding; mind.

   to get literature's great ideas through our skulls.

3. Armor. the part of a helmet that covers the top of the head.

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idioms

1. out of one's skull, crazy; demented.

skull British  

/ skʌl /

noun

1. the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates See cranium

2. derogatory the head regarded as the mind or intelligence

   to have a dense skull

3. a picture of a skull used to represent death or danger

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skull Scientific  

/ skŭl /

1. The part of the skeleton that forms the framework of the head, consisting of the bones of the cranium, which protect the brain, and the bones of the face.

2. See more at skeleton

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Other Word Forms

• skull-less adjective
• skull-like adjective

Etymology

Origin of skull

1175–1225; Middle English scolle < Old Norse skalli

Example Sentences

The initial assessment that suggested she was of recent sub-Saharan origin was originally based on analysis of her skull in 2013, scientists said.

From BBC

Dr. Rogers agrees that the new skull highlights how varied early humans could be.

From Science Daily

"This research confirmed several distinct species and expanded the known diversity of woylies by measuring skull and body fossil material that had previously not been looked at in detail," Dr. Travouillon said.

From Science Daily

These parts must be stored in a relatively large implanted canister, placed either by removing part of the skull or in another part of the body like the chest, with wires extending to the brain.

From Science Daily

Dr. Morris serves as the first Dinosaur Institute Postdoctoral Fellow, focusing on how developmental processes shape evolutionary changes and how skull anatomy shifts over time in the fossil record.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• cranium
• scalp