What is "calvaria"

Calvaria \Cal*va"ri*a\ (k[a^]l*v[=a]"r[i^]*[.a]), n. [L. See Calvary.] (Anat.) The bones of the cranium; more especially, the bones of the domelike upper portion.

n. (context anatomy English) The dome or roof of the skull

n. the dome of the skull [syn: skullcap]

Calvaria can refer to any of the following:

• the Latin name of Calvary, the site of Jesus's crucifixion
• Kalwaria (disambiguation) or Kalvarija (disambiguation), two towns named after Calvary
• calvaria (skull), a portion of the skull forming the roof of the cranial cavity
• Calvaria, a former scientific name of tropical trees including the tambalacoque tree (Sideroxylon grandiflorum)
• various types of skullcaps, such as the kippah, topi, or zucchetto.

The calvaria or skullcap (feminine Latin noun with plural calvariae; however, many medical texts list the word as calvarium, neuter Latin noun with plural calvaria) is the upper part of the neurocranium and covers the cranial cavity containing the brain.

The calvaria (skullcap) is made up of the superior portions of the frontal bone, occipital bone, and parietal bones. In the human skull, the sutures between the bones normally remain flexible during the first few years of postnatal development, and fontanelles are palpable. Premature complete ossification of these sutures is called craniosynostosis.