cranium

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cra·ni·um

(krā′nē-əm)

n. pl. cra·ni·ums or cra·ni·a (-nē-ə)

1. The skull.

2. The portion of the skull enclosing the brain; the braincase.

[Middle English craneum, from Medieval Latin crānium, from Greek krānion; see ker- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cranium

(ˈkreɪnɪəm)

n, pl -niums or -nia (-nɪə)

1. (Anatomy) the skull of a vertebrate

2. (Anatomy) the part of the skull that encloses the brain. Nontechnical name: brainpan

[C16: from Medieval Latin crānium skull, from Greek kranion]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cra•ni•um

(ˈkreɪ ni əm)

n., pl. -ni•ums, -ni•a (-ni ə)

1. the skull of a vertebrate.

2. Also called braincase. the part of the skull that encloses the brain.

[1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin crānium < Greek krāníon skull]

cra·ni·um

(krā′nē-əm)

The skull of a vertebrate animal. It encloses and protects the brain.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cranium

The part of the skull that contains the brain.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

cranium - the part of the skull that encloses the brain

braincase, brainpan

asterion - the craniometric point at the junction of the lamboid suture and the occipitomastoid suture and the parietomastoid suture

stephanion - the craniometric point on the coronal suture above the acoustic meatus

bone, os - rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates

ethmoid, ethmoid bone - one of the eight bones of the cranium; a small bone filled with air spaces that forms part of the eye sockets and the nasal cavity

os temporale, temporal bone - a thick bone forming the side of the human cranium and encasing the inner ear

skull - the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates

calvaria, skullcap - the dome of the skull

frontal bone, os frontale, forehead - the large cranial bone forming the front part of the cranium: includes the upper part of the orbits

parietal bone - either of two skull bones between the frontal and occipital bones and forming the top and sides of the cranium

occipital bone - a saucer-shaped membrane bone that forms the back of the skull

coronal suture, sutura coronalis - the suture between the parietal and frontal bones of the skull

frontal suture, sutura frontalis - the suture between two halves of the frontal bone (usually obliterated by the age of 6)

lamboid suture, sutura lamboidea - the suture between the occipital and parietal bones

occipitomastoid suture - the suture between the occipital and the temporal bones; a continuation of the lamboid suture

parietomastoid suture - the suture between the parietal and the temporal bones

interparietal suture, sagittal suture, sutura sagittalis - the suture uniting the two parietal bones

fontanel, fontanelle, soft spot - any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus

foramen magnum - the large opening at the base of the cranium through which the spinal cord passes

Translations

cranium

[ˈkreɪnɪəm] N (craniums or crania (pl)) [ˈkreɪnɪə] → cráneo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cranium

[ˈkreɪniəm] [crania] [ˈkreɪniə] (pl) n → crâne m, boîte f crânienne

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

cranium

n pl <crania> (Anat) → Schädel m, → Cranium nt (spec)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

cranium

[ˈkreɪnɪ/əm] n (cranium (pl)) (Anat) → cranio

cra·ni·um

n. cráneo, parte ósea de la cabeza que cubre el cerebro.

cranium

n (pl -nia) cráneo

References in classic literature ?

Maston, scratching with his steel hook his gutta-percha cranium. "Not a cloud on the horizon!

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Regarding the Sperm whale's head as a solid oblong, you may, on an inclined plane, sideways divide it into two quoins, whereof the lower is the bony structure, forming the cranium and jaws, and the upper an unctuous mass wholly free from bones; its broad forward end forming the expanded vertical apparent forehead of the whale.

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His parchment skin, showing dead white on his cranium through the thin wisps of dirty brown hair, seemed to be glued directly and tightly upon his big bones, Without being in any way deformed, he was the nearest approach which I have ever seen or could imagine to what is commonly understood by the word "monster." That the source of the effect produced was really moral I have no doubt.

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His first care then was to show Ferguson a severe contusion that he had received on the cranium. "And yet," he would add, with warmth, "that was at the height of only three feet--not an inch more--and such a bump as this!

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Now, General Monk, when he pardoned me, for he has pardoned me, could not help repeating these words to me, which I charge every one of you to engrave deeply there, between the eyes, under the vault of the cranium: -- `Monsieur, the joke has been a good one, but I don't naturally like jokes; if ever a word of what you have done' (you understand me, Menneville)

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Its two huge eyes extend in two vast oval patches from the centre of the top of the cranium down either side of the head to below the roots of the horns, so that these weapons really grow out from the lower part of the eyes, which are composed of several thousand ocelli each.

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They extend in two vast, oval patches from the center of the top of the cranium down either side of the head to below the roots of the horns, so that these weapons really grow out from the lower part of the eyes, which are composed of several thousand ocelli each.

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His tall, bony figure gave promise of exceptional physical strength, while his great cranium and deep-set, lustrous eyes spoke no less clearly of the keen intelligence which twinkled out from behind his bushy eyebrows.

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His head was carefully shaven with the exception of two circular spots, about the size of a dollar, near the,top of the cranium, where the hair, permitted to grow of an amazing length, was twisted up in two prominent knots, that gave him the appearance of being decorated with a pair of horns.

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Only above the eyebrows, where the sloping forehead and low, curved skull of the ape-man were in sharp contrast to the broad brow and magnificent cranium of the European, could one see any marked difference.

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A striking feature of the decorations consisted of several engaged columns set into the walls at no regular intervals, the capitals of each supporting a human skull the cranium of which touched the ceiling, as though the latter was supported by these grim reminders either of departed relatives or of some hideous tribal rite--Bradley could not but wonder which.

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The opening of the red handkerchief had disclosed a superannuated "Keepsake" and six or seven numbers of a "Portrait Gallery," in royal octavo; and the emphatic request to look referred to a portrait of George the Fourth in all the majesty of his depressed cranium and voluminous neckcloth.