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

These larger figurines have detachable heads and small holes in their necks and craniums. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025

The first part of the book covered the anatomy of the cranium with woodcut illustrations; the second described his methods of treatment of head wounds, skull fractures and diseases of the facial organs. —Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025

The scans showed pathological bone growths in the cranium and jawbone. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025

The cranium was similar to two unusually large skulls found in Xuchang County in Henan province between 2007 and 2014, which had a 1,800-cubic-centimeter (110-cubic-inch) capacity. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 24 Jan. 2025

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

Rhymes for cranium

• geranium
• germanium
• titanium
• uranium
• transuranium

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