noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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krā'nē-əm
/ˈkɹeɪ.ni.əm/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪniəm
CMU ARPABET:K R EY1 N IY2 AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
That part of the skull consisting of the bones enclosing the brain, but not including the bones of the face or jaw.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: braincase, neurocranium
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The upper portion of the skull, including the neurocranium and facial bones, but not including the jawbone (mandible).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Topics: anthropology, human-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Synonym of skull.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: skull
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the part of the skull that encloses the brain
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: braincase, brainpan
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bone, os
History
Etymology
From Medieval Latin crānium (“skull”), from Ancient Greek κρᾱνίον (krāníon, “skull”). By surface analysis, crani- + -um.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
قِحْف
(qiḥf)
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Breton:
boest ar penn
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Bulgarian:
черепна кутия
(čerepna kutija)
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Chinese Mandarin:
顱骨 /颅骨
(lúgǔ)
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Czech:
mozkovna
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Dutch:
hersenpan
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Esperanto:
kranio
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Esperanto:
cerbujo
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Finnish:
aivokoppa
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Finnish:
pääkoppa
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
French:
boîte crânienne
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Galician:
cranio
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
German:
Hirnschädel
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
German:
Hirnschale
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Italian:
cranio
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Malay:
kranium
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Māori:
pakohu roro
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Polish:
mózgoczaszka
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Portuguese:
crânio
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Russian:
черепна́я коро́бка
(čerepnája koróbka)
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Sanskrit:
कपाल
(kapāla)
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Scottish Gaelic:
claigeann
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Spanish:
cráneo
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Vietnamese:
hộp sọ
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Welsh:
padell yr ymennydd
— (anatomy) braincase or neurocranium
Galician:
cranio
— upper part of skull without the mandible
Italian:
cranio
— upper part of skull without the mandible
Polish:
mózgoczaszka
— upper part of skull without the mandible
Spanish:
cráneo
— upper part of skull without the mandible
Welsh:
creuan
— upper part of skull without the mandible
