also: しゃれこうべ · されこうべ
Often refers to a weathered skull used as a symbol of death, but can also mean a skull in general. The katakana form ドクロ is most common.
A skull is drawn on the pirate flag.
I found an animal skull in the desert.
Anatomical term for 'skull'; more clinical and neutral than ドクロ, which often carries a symbolic or weathered nuance.
gashadokuro; giant skeleton yōkai
Katakana spelling is the most common and recognizable form; the word is usually written in kana.
Rare kanji form; mainly encountered in literary or historical contexts.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Alternate native Japanese reading, often used in folklore or idiomatic expressions.
Variant of しゃれこうべ; less common but still recognized.
Very rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
The reading どくろ is derived from the kanji 髑髏, which are rare characters specifically for 'skull'. The alternate readings しゃれこうべ/されこうべ are native Japanese words of uncertain origin, possibly related to 晒れ (さらけ, 'exposed') and 頭 (こうべ, 'head').