skull

Head bone structure

The skull is the bony framework of the head, encasing and protecting the brain.

It includes the cranium and the facial bones.

Figuratively, skull often stands in for head or mind: I can't get that song out of my skull.

To skull something is to hit it with one's head, especially in sports: He skulled the ball into the net.

anatomy

cranium

Skull bone structure

mandibleLower facial bone
occipitalOf the skull's rear
parietalOf the skull wall

temporal · frontal · maxilla · calvaria · sutures · foramen · orbit · fossa · condyle · coronal

mortality

vanitas

Painting of mortality symbols

deathCessation of life
transienceBrevity of existence
mortalityState of eventual death

ephemeral · gravestone · cemetery · catacombs · ossuary · charnel · Golgotha · Hamlet · Yorick · impermanence

symbol

crossbones

Intersecting skeletal warning

dangerExposure to harm
poisonHarmful ingested substance
warningAlert about danger

tattoo · gothic · macabre · occult · metal · biker · rebel · pirate · flag · emblem

pirate

crossbones

Intersecting skeletal warning

buccaneerCaribbean colonial-era pirate
corsairPirate or pirate ship
BlackbeardFamous Caribbean buccaneer

flag · treasure · plunder · ship · Caribbean · swashbuckler · galleon · raider · privateer · seafarer

forensic

identification

Establishing who someone is

reconstructionRebuilding after destruction
anthropologyStudy of human cultures
osteologyScientific study of bones

remains · trauma · pathology · evidence · ancestry · morphology · superimposition · odontology · examination · profile

carcass

bones

Rigid internal support structure

remainsContinues in place
carrionPutrefying animal remains
scavengerSeeker of refuse

vulture · decay · decomposition · predator · kill · coyote · bleached · desert · weathered · trophy

Categories

body partsarm, leg, hand, back, chest
Halloweenjack-o-lantern, trick or treating, haunted mansion, pumpkin, trick-or-treat
S wordssay, see, set, sit, son
anatomybrain, heart, bones, liver, stomach
bonesfemur, tibia, humerus, fibula, bones
musculoskeletalbone, bones, muscle, muscles, joint

Opposites

anatomical structure type

skullsoft tissue

Non-rigid body structures

flesh · brain · muscle · skin · organs

body position/location

skullfeet

Lower limbs' ends

pelvis · tailbone · bottom · coccyx · heel

protection vs. vulnerability

Emotional vulnerability or fondness

fontanelle · underbelly · vulnerability

Phrases

skull and crossbonesSkeletal danger symbol
human skullBony head structure
skull capBrimless fitted headwear
skull emojiCranium pictograph for texts
sugar skullDecorative confection honoring deceased
skull fractureBreak in head bone

Family

skulls, skulled, skullcap, skulling

Familiarity: Top 3,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G