neck
Americannoun
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the part of the body of an animal or human being that connects the head and the trunk.
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the part of a garment encircling, partly covering, or closest to the neck; neckline.
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the length of the neck of a horse or other animal as a measure in racing.
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the slender part near the top of a bottle, vase, or similar object.
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any narrow, connecting, or projecting part suggesting the neck of an animal.
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a narrow strip of land, as an isthmus or a cape.
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a strait.
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the longer and more slender part of a violin or similar stringed instrument, extending from the body to the head.
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Building Trades, Machinery. the part on a shank of a bolt next to the head, especially when it has a special form.
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Anatomy. a narrowed part of a bone, organ, or the like.
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Dentistry. the slightly narrowed region of a tooth between the crown and the root.
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Printing. beard.
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Architecture. a cylindrical continuation of the shaft of a column above the lower astragal of the capital, as in the Roman Doric and Tuscan orders.
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Also called volcanic neck. Geology. the solidified lava or igneous rock filling a conduit leading either to a vent of an extinct volcano or to a laccolith.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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Informal. to embrace, kiss, and caress (someone) amorously.
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to strangle or behead.
idioms
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get it in the neck,
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to suffer punishment or loss.
The trend is to consolidation and small businesses are getting it in the neck.
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to be rejected or dismissed.
The employees got it in the neck when the company moved overseas.
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to be sharply reprimanded or scolded.
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neck of the woods, neighborhood, area, or vicinity.
Next time you're in this neck of the woods, drop in.
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stick one's neck out, to expose oneself to danger, disaster, failure, disgrace, etc.; take a risk.
He stuck his neck out by supporting an unpopular candidate.
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neck and neck, even or very close; indeterminate as to the outcome.
They were coming toward the finish line neck and neck.
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win by a neck,
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to win by a small amount or narrow margin.
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Racing. to be first by a head and neck; finish closely.
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be up to one's neck, to have a surfeit; be overburdened.
Right now she's up to her neck in work.
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break one's neck, to make a great effort.
We broke our necks to get there on time.
noun
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the part of an organism connecting the head with the rest of the body
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the part of a garment around or nearest the neck
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something resembling a neck in shape or position
the neck of a bottle
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anatomy a constricted portion of an organ or part, such as the cervix of the uterus
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a narrow or elongated projecting strip of land; a peninsula or isthmus
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a strait or channel
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the part of a violin, cello, etc, that extends from the body to the tuning pegs and supports the fingerboard
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a solid block of lava from the opening of an extinct volcano, exposed after erosion of the surrounding rock
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botany the upper, usually tubular, part of the archegonium of mosses, ferns, etc
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the length of a horse's head and neck taken as an approximate distance by which one horse beats another in a race
to win by a neck
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informal a short distance, amount, or margin
he is always a neck ahead in new techniques
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informal impudence; audacity
he had the neck to ask for a rise
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architect the narrow band at the top of the shaft of a column between the necking and the capital, esp as used in the Tuscan order
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another name for beard, on printer's type
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informal to exert oneself greatly, esp by hurrying, in order to do something
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slang (of a bottle of beer) served unpoured
give me two bottles of stout by the neck
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informal to be reprimanded or punished severely
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absolutely level or even in a race or competition
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informal an area or locality
a quiet neck of the woods
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to take a great risk
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informal
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to escape from a difficult or dangerous situation
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to help someone else escape from such a situation
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informal to risk criticism, ridicule, failure, etc, by speaking one's mind
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deeply involved in
he's up to his neck in dodgy dealings
verb
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informal (intr) to kiss, embrace, or fondle someone or one another passionately
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informal (tr) to swallow (something, esp a drink)
he's been necking pints all night
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of neck
before 900; Middle English nekke, Old English hnecca, cognate with Dutch nek nape of neck; akin to German Nacken, Old Norse hnakki nape of neck
Explanation
Your neck is the part of your body that connects your head and your shoulders. Your neck, with help from your spine, supports the weight of your head. It's also thanks to your neck that you can turn your head in all directions (except, of course, directly behind you). Your sweaters and t-shirts have necks too, the holes meant for your head and neck to slide through. In geography, a neck is a long, thin peninsula, a stretch of land that looks neck-like on a map. And to neck is to kiss amorously.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Laird & Co., a family-run distillery in Colts Neck, N.J., can beat that—easily.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Neck guards have been mandatory in the Elite League, in which the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers compete, since 1 January 2024.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
He co-led the study with Dr. Jochen Lorch, a professor of medicine at Feinberg and the medical oncology director of the Head and Neck Cancer Program at Northwestern Medicine.
From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026
But that was the ninth take of the song, and it’s incredibly different from what was on the Colts Neck demo tape.
From Salon • Oct. 28, 2025
Mr. Neck turns around to see what everyone is staring at.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
