Crania

/ˈkreɪniə/ noun

Definition

Plural of cranium; multiple skulls or cranial cavities (the bones that enclose and protect the brain).

Etymology

Latin plural of 'cranium' (from Greek 'kranion' meaning 'skull'). 'Cranium' comes from the same root as 'crown', suggesting the skull as the crown of the head.

Kelly Says

Many Latin medical terms keep their original Latin plurals instead of adding '-s'—we say 'crania' not 'craniums', 'vertebrae' not 'vertebras'—making medical terminology feel like a dead language speaking through modern medicine!

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