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.
4.
out of one's skull, Slang. crazy; demented.

Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English scolle < Old Norse skalli

skull-less, adjective
skull-like, adjective

scull, skull.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Skull is always a great word to know.
So is cranium. Does it mean:
the area of the area above the ears and eyes; the skull, the cranium contains the brain
bones of the limbs, including the bones of the pectoral and pelvic girdles, 126 bones
Collins
World English Dictionary
skull (skʌl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  See cranium the bony skeleton of the head of vertebratesRelated: cranial
2.  derogatory often 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
 
Related: cranial
 
[C13: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse skoltr, Norwegian skult, Swedish dialect skulle]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

skull
early 13c., probably from O.N. skalli "bald head, skull," a general Scandinavian word (cf. Swedish skulle, Norw. skult), probably related to O.E. scealu "husk" (see shell). But early prominence in southwestern texts suggests rather origin from a Dutch or Low Ger. cognate (e.g.
Du. schol "turf, piece of ice," but the sense of "head bone framework" is wanting). Derivation from O.Fr. escuelle seems unlikely on grounds of sound and sense. O.E. words for skull include heafod-bolla.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

skull (skŭl)
n.
The bony or cartilaginous framework of the head, made up of the bones of the braincase and face; cranium.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
skull   (skŭl)  Pronunciation Key 
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. See more at skeleton.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
He says it could damage the brain, not to mention crack the skull.
There's more inside the skull, after all, than brain.
Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid inside the skull, leading to brain swelling.
Because the brain does not fossilize, they studied endocasts, imprints of the
  brain left in the skull.
Image for Skull
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