cranium

noun

cra·​ni·​um ˈkrā-nē-əm 

plural craniums or crania ˈkrā-nē-ə 

: skull

specifically : the part of the skull that encloses the brain : braincase

Among the physical characters that distinguish them from other early humans are the long, low sweep of the Neanderthal cranium …

—James Shreeve

"Hey, big head!" Mahorn shouted. Aguirre does, in fact, have an extraordinary cranium.

—Jeff Coplon

You don't "watch" a film like Fight Club; you mainline a deluge of visual and sonic information (including a hefty chunk of the IKEA catalog) straight into your cranium.

—Jeff Gordinier

Synonyms

• skull

Examples of cranium in a Sentence

the cranium of a Neanderthal is striking for its brow ridges

Recent Examples on the Web

And a hominin cranium was found in 2002 in a travertine quarry in southwestern Turkey. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Apr. 2024

In the past, researchers have also uncovered the cranium of a Neanderthal female, featuring 35 similar incisions. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 May 2024

The fossils include a partial frontal bone, including brow ridge, from the cranium, and the shaft of a shin bone, from Tam Pà Ling, a cave in northern Laos. —Ryan McRae, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023

The cranium of an individual with mosaic Turner syndrome from an Iron Age site in Somerset, UK. —Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Greek kranion; akin to Greek kara head — more at cerebral

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cranium

noun

cra·​ni·​um ˈkrā-nē-əm 

plural craniums or crania

-nē-ə

: skull sense 1

especially : the part that encloses the brain

Medical Definition

cranium

noun

cra·​ni·​um ˈkrā-nē-əm 

plural craniums or crania -nē-ə 

: skull

specifically : braincase