skull

[skuhl]

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.

skull

/ 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

skull

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

Other Word Forms

• skull-less adjective
• skull-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of skull¹

1175–1225; Middle English scolle < Old Norse skalli

Word History and Origins

Origin of skull¹

C13: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse skoltr, Norwegian skult, Swedish dialect skulle

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

They took him to al-Shifa hospital, where Hadeel says she was told her husband had a skull fracture and was in a coma.

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He suffered a broken leg and a fractured skull.

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The jury heard Brendon suffered "catastrophic injuries" including a fractured skull, a broken neck, a broken jaw and broken legs in Yeovil District Hospital's special care baby unit in Somerset on 5 March 2024.

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They also found human skulls fashioned into soup bowls; lampshades and costumes made from human skin; and mutilated female body parts, among other nightmare fuel.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She also said she saw the father and daughter carrying something away in a plastic bag, so she had assumed it was the skull.

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Related Words

• cranium 
• scalp