Axial Skeleton

Axial Skeleton: Axial skeleton refers to the bones of the head, neck, trunk, and spinal column (does not include pelvis). There are approximately 80 bones in the axial skeleton.

• Etymology - Axial, as in "axis", referring to "imaginary motionless straight line around which a body (such as the Earth) rotates," from Latin axis "axle, pivot, axis of the earth or sky" - Etymology Online

"Axial skeleton" is a label referring to a set of bones whose function is distinct from the bones of the "appendicular skeleton ".