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

Explanation

The bones of a person's or animal's head make up the skull. All vertebrates have a skull. Pirate flags often feature a human skull and crossbones (because a parrot skull wouldn’t be nearly so scary). The wide-eyed head of a skeleton is its skull. Skulls are hard and bony, but they're a little bit flexible as well—characteristics that help them protect the brain they enclose. Your skull consists of two parts: the bones of your face and the neurocranium, or "braincase." The precise origin of skull is uncertain, but it probably traces back to the Old English scealu, "husk or shell."

Example Sentences

He did a five-mile loop that took him above Skull Rock.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2025

A short ghost story about a boy with a clockwork heart buried under the Skull Tree is told via Burton claymation, in black-and-white, in the spirit of “Frankenweenie.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

He is known for the Transformers franchise and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating the Palisades fire, investigators set fire to parts of the Temescal Ridge Trail between Skull Rock and Green Peak on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2025

She got a babysitter, and for Gary’s birthday, they went to an Olive Garden and then to the movies to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• cranium
• scalp