Calvarium

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kælˈvɛəɹi.əm/

Definitions

1. The bony framework that forms the upper section of the skull serves to encase and protect the brain
2. This anatomical term describes the dome-shaped portion of the skull that shields the brain and contributes to skull morphology
3. The upper part of a skull consists of bones that encase the brain and is essential for cranial protection and structure

Etymology: The Latin "calvaria" meant "skull," and it grew from "calva," a word for the bare top of the head, which in turn comes from "calvus," meaning "bald." The surprise is that the anatomical sense is the original one: a skull was named for its hairless crown, and "calvus" itself described a head or brow that had lost its hair. English took the word directly from Latin for the bony vault of the skull, the part that encloses the brain. Its sense has stayed fixed on that anatomical meaning, so the term describes the upper cranium rather than the whole head. The word appears in medical and anthropological writing, where it is used to describe the skull's dome-shaped roof.

Synonyms: skullcap, cranium, dome, head, braincase