noun / verb
skull
SKULL/skʌl/
The bones enclosing the brain.
The skull forms a hard, protective case around the brain.
Etymology
Middle English sculle already named the head’s bony framework. Its deeper origin is disputed, though a possible relationship with “shell” or “husk” suggests the image of a protective outer casing.
In context
bullet hit President Kennedy's neck and hit governor Connally shoulder and wrist a second shot then hit President Kennedy in the head covering the limousines rear interior with fragments of skull blood and brain
More examples
- The X-ray shows a small fracture in her skull.
- We compared the skulls of a wolf and a deer.
- The attacker skulled him with a bottle.
Forms
skull · skulls · skulled · skulling
Similar words
- cranium
- A more technical term for the bones enclosing the brain.
- braincase
- Explicitly names the brain's bony enclosure, excluding the facial bones.