cross-bones

A pirate flag flies with a skull and cross-bones on it.

Definition

Noun (plural in form, used with a singular or plural verb):
- A symbolic representation of two bones crossed diagonally, typically depicted beneath a skull as an emblem of death or mortal danger.
- Example: The pirate flag featured a skull and cross-bones to warn of lethal force.

Usage Examples

• (A standard hazard symbol indicating fatality risk.)
• (Used geographically to denote death-related sites.)

Advanced Usage

• "skull and cross-bones": A fixed phrase referring to the complete emblem, used as a universal sign of poison, piracy, or death.
  • The chemical container bore the skull and cross-bones symbol. (Indicating toxicity.)

Variants and Related Words

• Crossbones (alternative spelling, often hyphenated or written as one word): identical meaning.
  • The Jolly Roger flag is notorious for its white skull and crossbones on a black field. (Synonymous with piracy.)

Synonyms

• Death's head: A skull often used with crossed bones as a memento mori.
• Poison symbol: The modern graphic standard for hazardous substances.

Related Idioms

• "Skull and cross-bones" as a metaphor for extreme danger or taboo.
  • The abandoned factory was a skull-and-cross-bones zone for explorers. (A place of lethal risk.)

Notes

• The term is almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase "skull and cross-bones" or as part of a compound noun. It rarely appears in isolation.