skull and crossbones
Syllables: skull and cross·bones/ˌskʌl n̩ ˈkɹɒsbəʊnz/US/ˌskʌl n̩ ˈkɹɔsboʊnz/
skull and crossbones noun: a depiction of a human skull and two crossed femurs (thighbones), a symbol of death traditionally used on the Jolly Roger pirate flag, but now used on chemical containers and other hazardous items as an indicator of warning of toxicity or other life-threatening dangers or risks.
Noun
skull and crossbones (plural skull and crossbones or skulls and crossbones)
- A depiction of a human skull and two crossed femurs (thighbones), a symbol of death traditionally used on the Jolly Roger pirate flag, but now used on chemical containers and other hazardous items as an indicator of warning of toxicity or other life-threatening dangers or risks.
- In an obscure corner of the town stands a house of extreme antiquity, over the door of which are still to be seen a skull and crossbones.1832 February, “A Tale of Galway, Ireland”, in Louis Antoine Godey, editor, The Lady’s Book: A Monthly Magazine of Belles-lettres and the Arts. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: L[ouis] A[ntoine] Godey & Co....
- She stood within the chamber, and gazed around her; no signs by which an Inquisitor of old could have detected the Scholar of the Black Arts were visible. No crucibles and caldrons, no brass-bound volumes and ciphered girdles, no skulls and crossbones.1842, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter VII, in Zanoni. […], volume III, London: Saunders & Otley, […], →OCLC, 6th book (Superstition Deserting Faith), page 87
skull and crossbones meaning in Arabic, Indonesian, Persian and Thai
skull and crossbones in Arabic
- depiction of a human skull and two crossed femurs
- جمجمة وعظمتان متقاطعتان
skull and crossbones in Indonesian
- depiction of a human skull and two crossed femurs
- tengkorak dan tulang silang, kepala kematian
skull and crossbones in Persian
- depiction of a human skull and two crossed femurs
- سمبل جمجمه و استخوان
skull and crossbones in Thai
- depiction of a human skull and two crossed femurs
- กะโหลกไขว้
More languagesFewer languages
- skull and crossbones in Vietnamese
- đầu lâu xương chéo
Examples of skull and crossbones in a sentence
- When poisons are involved, red skull and crossbones are added.1973, Richard C. Colton, Edmund S. Ward, Charles H. Wager, Practical Handbook of Industrial Traffic Management, 5th edition, Washington...
- The skull and crossbones is, to be sure, a visual sign that communicates a very specific meaning.1994, William G. Boltz, The Origin and Early Development of the Chinese Writing System, New Haven, Conn.: American Oriental Society, →ISBN...
- There was a big red cross in the center and around it were two skull and crossbones and two other insignia with crossed torches, crossed scythes, and a smaller cross in the center.1996, “The Regiment de Tren: Transportation under Fire”, in Cary Nelson, Jefferson Hendricks, editors, Madrid 1937: Letters of the Abraham...
Forms of skull and crossbones
| plural | skull and crossbones |
|---|---|
| plural | skulls and crossbones |
| alternative form | skull-and-crossbones |
Questions about skull and crossbones
- What does skull and crossbones mean?
- Skull and crossbones means a depiction of a human skull and two crossed femurs (thighbones), a symbol of death traditionally used on the Jolly Roger pirate flag, but now used on chemical containers and other hazardous items as an indicator of warning of toxicity or other life-threatening dangers or risks.
- What is skull and crossbones in Arabic?
- Skull and crossbones in Arabic is جمجمة وعظمتان متقاطعتان. See Skull and crossbones meaning in Arabic.
- How do you use skull and crossbones in a sentence?
- When poisons are involved, red skull and crossbones are added.
- What part of speech is skull and crossbones?
- Skull and crossbones is a noun.
- How do you pronounce skull and crossbones?
- Skull and crossbones is pronounced /ˌskʌl n̩ ˈkɹɒsbəʊnz/ (UK).
- What is the plural of skull and crossbones?
- The plural of skull and crossbones is skull and crossbones.
Words near skull and crossbones in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: skull and crossbones (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-skull and crossbones.wav.
Cite this entry: “skull and crossbones.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/skull_and_crossbones. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.