means The bony framework of the head that encloses and protects the brain and forms the structure of the face.

from From Middle English 'scolle,' of uncertain root — possibly Scandinavian, a cousin of Old Norse 'skoltr' or words for a shell or bowl, fittingly enough, since the skull is the body's own cap. It eventually edged out the older English 'heafod-ban' (head-bone) and the Latin-derived 'cranium' for everyday speech, though the exact path remains murky.