cranium

/ˈkreɪniəm/

/ˈkreɪniəm/

Other forms: crania; craniums

Your cranium is your skull, the hard bone of your head that protects your brain from injury. Take care of your cranium; it's your built-in helmet!

The skull is composed of two primary parts: the cranium, which houses the brain, and the mandible, or jawbone. While the cranium acts as a protective "braincase," it also provides the structural foundation for the facial skeleton. In some animals, the cranium is reinforced so that defensive features, such as horns or antlers, can be anchored directly to the bone. The word comes from the Greek kranion, "upper part of the head," from the root word kara, "head."

Definitions of cranium

1. noun

   the part of the skull that encloses the brain
   synonyms: braincase, brainpan

   type of:

   bone, os

   rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates