Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. The scientific study of the characteristics of the skull, such as size and shape, especially in humans.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. The study of the physical characteristics of the human skull.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. The department of science (as of ethnology or archæology) which deals with the shape, size, proportions, indications, etc., of skulls; the study of skulls.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. That branch of anatomy which deals with the study of crania or skulls; the sum of human knowledge concerning skulls.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. the scientific study of the skulls of various human races
Etymologies
Examples
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CraniologySkulls vary in size and shape, and the term craniology is applied to the study of these variations.
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Frenchmen, on craniology, which is exceedingly interesting, but full of difficulty, and giving very diverse indications.
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And thus was born phrenology (then called craniology).
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My friend, a genetisist and anthropologist, once was at scientific conference in Columbia university and shown his results in ethnic craniology to his american collegue.
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I am certainly developing the wisdom of the serpent, for when Mortimer pressed his questions to an inconvenient extent I asked him casually to what type Frankland's skull belonged, and so heard nothing but craniology for the rest of our drive.
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FW: Pseudosciences like craniology and phrenology in the 18th and 19th century were once used as a basis for scientific racism that dealt with the inability of certain races to have intellect – thus the bizarre depiction of "happy darkies" that the Gone With the Wind group loved so well.
The WritingYA Weblog: Winter Blog Blast Tour, Day Three: M.T. Anderson
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Morton picked up his craniology from George Combe, a phrenologist who believed the brain housed all the organs of character.
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"The application of craniology to the Amazonian savages."
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There has been far too much emphasis on the importance of craniology in anthropology; I myself have been guilty of this.
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"Does it not concern you that we are of differing opinions when it comes to craniology?"
Comments
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