bucranium

[ byoo-krey-nee-uhm ]

noun,plural bu·cra·ni·a [byoo-krey-nee-uh]. /byuˈkreɪ ni ə/.
  1. (in classical architecture) an ornament, especially on a frieze, having the form of the skull of an ox.

Origin of bucranium

1
1850–55; <Late Latin būcrānium<Greek boukrā́ni(on) an ox-head, equivalent to Greek bou- (stem of boûs) ox + krāníoncranium
  • Also bu·crane [byoo-kreyn]. /byuˈkreɪn/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024