skull
Americannoun
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the bony framework of the head, enclosing the brain and supporting the face; the skeleton of the head.
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the head as the center of knowledge and understanding; mind.
to get literature's great ideas through our skulls.
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Armor. the part of a helmet that covers the top of the head.
idioms
noun
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the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates See cranium
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derogatory the head regarded as the mind or intelligence
to have a dense skull
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a picture of a skull used to represent death or danger
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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.
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See more at skeleton
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s hard not to feel some kind of sympathy for Max, who sustained a severe brain injury while he was incarcerated that required surgeons to install a metal plate in his skull.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
She added, “It’s really fun to go shopping for a human skull and a Ronettes record in the same day, and we get to do that with our band.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
The specimen, which contains a tyrannosaur tooth still embedded in another dinosaur's skull, is the focus of a new study by researchers from Montana State University and the University of Alberta in Canada.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Nicolas Cage bought a Tyrannosaurus bataar skull at auction in 2007 for $276,000, but later found out it was illegally excavated from Mongolia and had to return it, Cage told “The Hollywood Reporter.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
All these ideas are whirling around my brain, building up the pressure until my skull starts to crumble.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
The best soccer isn’t a contest of skulls, but a contest of intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Texas Sen. John Cornyn shared a meme of Collins sitting on a throne of skulls.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
So with Spielberg once again looking skyward, we decided to revisit the director’s long cinematic relationship with aliens, as figures of astonishment, terror, transcendence and, occasionally, giant crystal skulls from another dimension.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
The beaked Pterocetus benguelae, which is 5.3 million years old, was discovered to be one of the fossilised skulls in the graves.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
White skulls had colorful sequin eyes and pretty designs on their faces.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
