Skull

Pronunciation

• enPR: skÅ­l, IPA: /skÊŒl/
• Homophones: scull
• Rhymes: -ÊŒl

From Middle English scolle, probably from Old Norse skalli ("bald head, skull"), itself probably related to Old English scealu ("husk"). Cf. Swedish skulle, Norwegian skult.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/skull?s=t

Alternative forms

• scull obsolete

Full definition of skull

Noun

1. (anatomy) The main bones of the head considered as a unit; the cranium.
• 1922, Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room Chapter 1He was about to roar when, lying among the black sticks and straw under the cliff, he saw a whole skull—perhaps a cow's skull, a skull, perhaps, with the teeth in it. Sobbing, but absent-mindedly, he ran farther and farther away until he held the skull in his arms.
2. A symbol for death; death's-head

Derived terms

• numskull, numbskull
• skull and crossbones
• skullet

Synonyms

• brainpan
• cranium anatomy
• harnpan

Meronyms

Verb

1. To hit in the head with a fist, a weapon, or a thrown object.

See school ("a multitude").

Noun

1. Obsolete form of school
• 1586, William Warner (poet), Albion’s England:A knavish skull of boys and girls did pelt at him.
• 1601, Philemon Holland (translator), Pliny the Elder (author), Natural History (Pliny), book IX, chapter xv: “Of the names and natures of many fishes.”:These fishs, togither with the old Tunies and the young, called Pelamides, enter in great flotes and skulls, into the sea Pontus, for the sweet food that they there find: and every companie of them hath their fever all leaders and captaines; and before them all, the Maquerels lead the way; which, while they be in the water, have a colour of brimstone; but without, like they be to the rest.