skull
[skuhl]
- the bony framework of the head, enclosing the brain and supporting the face; the skeleton of the head.
- the head as the center of knowledge and understanding; mind: to get literature's great ideas through our skulls.
- Armor. the part of a helmet that covers the top of the head.
- out of one's skull, Slang. crazy; demented.
Origin of skull
1175–1225; Middle English scolle < Old Norse skalli
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for skull
Contemporary Examples
He fell 40 feet and fractured his skull, hip, and nose, and lay there motionless.
Creed Singer Scott Stapp’s Fall From Grace: From 40 Million Albums Sold to Living in a Holiday InnMarlow Stern
November 27, 2014
Katniss walks through mountains of skeletons, at one point recoiling in horror as she inadvertently steps on a skull.
He subsequently told the Post that it was clear he had killed bin Laden because his skull was split open.
Before the 16thcentury, Spanish conquest, the Aztecs saw the skull as a symbol of rebirth.
Your Advanced Combat Helmet weighs seven pounds and the back pads press furiously into the corners of your skull.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in IraqNathan Bradley Bethea
August 31, 2014
Historical Examples
Pericles was usually represented with a helmet, to cover the deformity in his skull.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
But the man had been only stunned by a bullet that plowed its way across the top of his skull.
Way of the LawlessMax Brand
Up goes the black flag, and the skull and crossbones to the fore.
Howard Pyle's Book of PiratesHoward Pyle
"I've a good mind to break that chap's skull," he said to himself as he turned away.
The Foolish LoversSt. John G. Ervine
With his own hands he uncovered the bones and skull of some brave warrior.
Buried Cities, Part 2Jennie Hall
skull
- the bony skeleton of the head of vertebratesSee cranium Related adjective: cranial
- often derogatory the head regarded as the mind or intelligenceto have a dense skull
- a picture of a skull used to represent death or danger
Word Origin
C13: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse skoltr, Norwegian skult, Swedish dialect skulle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for skull
n.
"bony framework of the head," c.1200, probably from Old Norse skalli "a bald head, skull," a general Scandinavian word (cf. Swedish skulle, Norwegian skult), probably related to Old English scealu "husk" (see shell (n.)). But early prominence in southwestern texts suggests rather origin from a Dutch or Low German cognate (e.g. Dutch schol "turf, piece of ice," but the sense of "head bone framework" is wanting). Derivation from Old French escuelle seems unlikely on grounds of sound and sense. Old English words for skull include heafod-bolla.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
skull
(skŭl)
- The bony or cartilaginous framework of the head, made up of the bones of the braincase and face; cranium.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
skull
[skŭl]
- 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. See more at skeleton.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.