crossbones

[kraws-bohnz, kros-]

See more synonyms for crossbones on Thesaurus.com

plural noun

a representation of two bones placed crosswise, usually below a skull, to symbolize death.

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Origin of crossbones

First recorded in 1790–1800; cross- + bone + -s³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for crossbones

Contemporary Examples

Visitors arrive to the park at the Ugab River and are welcomed by gates bearing two skull and crossbones.
Namibia’s Spooky Skeleton Coast
Nina Strochlic
March 5, 2014
Also on tap for midseason: Crossbones and comedies About a Boy and The Family Guide.
NBC Unveils Its 2013-14 Schedule: ‘Parenthood’ to Thursday, ‘Revolution’ to Wednesday, and More
Jace Lacob
May 12, 2013
Crossbones by Nuruddin Farah A gripping fictional look into the horrors and chaos of Somalia.
This Week’s Hot Reads
September 26, 2011

Historical Examples

Up goes the black flag, and the skull and crossbones to the fore.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
The crossbones as hung on the masthead o' the Spittin' Devil.
Wappin' Wharf
Charles S. Brooks
Skull and Crossbones was too obvious, and my next choice was The Gibbet.
Wappin' Wharf
Charles S. Brooks
The flag was black, and in the centre were a white skull and crossbones!
Freaks on the Fells
R.M. Ballantyne
These warnings were obeyed, for there was a skull and crossbones at the top of the poster.
What Is Man? And Other Stories
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

British Dictionary definitions for crossbones

crossbones

pl n

See skull and crossbones

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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012