skull and crossbones
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Skull \Skull\, n. [OE. skulle, sculle, scolle; akin to Scot.
skull, skoll, a bowl, Sw. skalle skull, skal a shell, and E.
scale; cf. G. hirnschale, Dan. hierneskal. Cf. {Scale} of a
balance.]
1. (Anat.) The skeleton of the head of a vertebrate animal,
including the brain case, or cranium, and the bones and
cartilages of the face and mouth. See Illusts. of
{Carnivora}, of {Facial angles} under {Facial}, and of
{Skeleton}, in Appendix.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In many fishes the skull is almost wholly cartilaginous
but in the higher vertebrates it is more or less
completely ossified, several bones are developed in the
face, and the cranium is made up, wholly or partially,
of bony plates arranged in three segments, the frontal,
parietal, and occipital, and usually closely united in
the adult.
[1913 Webster]
2. The head or brain; the seat of intelligence; mind.
[1913 Webster]
Skulls that can not teach, and will not learn.
--Cowper.
[1913 Webster]
3. A covering for the head; a skullcap. [Obs. & R.]
[1913 Webster]
Let me put on my skull first. --Beau. & Fl.
[1913 Webster]
4. A sort of oar. See {Scull}.
[1913 Webster]
{Skull and crossbones}, a symbol of death. See {Crossbones}.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
90 Moby Thesaurus words for "skull and crossbones":
Azrael, Black Death, Death, Grim Reaper, Pale Death, Reaper,
angel of death, armory, badge, badge of office, badges, baton,
blazonry, brassard, button, cap and gown, chain, chain of office,
class ring, cockade, collar, cross, crossbones, danger sign,
decoration, dress, eagle, early symptom, emblems, ensigns,
falling barometer, fasces, figurehead, fleur-de-lis,
gathering clouds, hammer and sickle, heraldry, high sign, insignia,
lapel pin, livery, mace, mantle, markings, medal, memento mori,
mortarboard, old school tie, omen, pale horse, pale rider, pin,
precursor, preliminary sign, premonitory sign, premonitory symptom,
prodroma, prodrome, quarantine flag, red flag, red light, regalia,
ring, rose, school ring, shamrock, sickle of Death, sigillography,
skull, sphragistics, staff, storm petrel, stormy petrel, swastika,
symptom, tartan, that fell sergeant, that grim ferryman, thistle,
thundercloud, thunderhead, tie, uniform, verge, wand, warning sign,
warning signal, white cross, yellow flag, yellow jack
[email protected]