髏 (lóu) - Skull — refers to the human skull or & often used in compound words related to bones

髏Tone 2

lóu ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

髏 · lóu

Skull — refers to the human skull or skeleton;

often used in compound words related to bones or skeletons.

Skull — refers to the human skull oroften used in compound words related to bones

Usage highlights

SkeletonSkullSkull and crossbonesDry bonesSkull cupBleached bones

Synonyms

  • 骷— skeleton (often used together with 髏)
  • 骨— bone
  • 颅— skull, cranium

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The archaeologist found an ancient skull (头髏).
  • The medical student studied the human skeleton (骷髅).
  • In horror movies, skeletons are common (骷髅).
  • The pirate flag featured a skull and crossbones (骷髅旗).

Collocations

  • Skeleton(骷髅)
  • Skull(头髏)
  • Skull and crossbones(骷髅旗)
  • Dry bones(枯髏)
  • Skull cup(髏器)
  • Bleached bones(白骨髏髏)

Idioms

  • A pile of dry bones(枯髏一堆)
  • Nothing but skin and bones(皮包骨头，形同髏髑)
  • The skull speaks truth(髏髑道真)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, skeletons and skulls are associated with death and the afterlife.
  • Often appears in Buddhist texts referring to skeletons as reminders of mortality.
  • Used in traditional medicine and anatomy for bone structures.
  • Common in horror and supernatural contexts in literature and art.

FAQ