Definitions

used in 髑髏|髑髅[dú lóu]

Etymology phono-semantic

bone

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character is formed with the bone radical () on the left, anchoring its meaning in skeletal anatomy, and the phonetic on the right, providing the pronunciation. It refers exclusively to the human skull and appears almost solely in the compound 髑髅, meaning 'skull' or 'cranium'. This specific reference restricts its use to anatomical contexts and occasional literary or artistic mentions of human remains, where it serves as a specialized term for the skull.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern