necklace
Americannoun
noun
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a chain, band, or cord, often bearing beads, pearls, jewels, etc, worn around the neck as an ornament, esp by women
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(in South Africa) a tyre soaked in petrol, placed round a person's neck, and set on fire in order to burn the person to death
verb
Etymology
Origin of necklace
1580–90; neck + lace (in the sense “a cord or string to pull opposite ends together”)
Explanation
A necklace is jewelry you wear around your neck. You might decide your sparkly faux-diamond necklace is a bit dressy for your cousin's baseball game — but perfect for a fancy dinner out. A necklace can be a simple gold or silver chain, a length of beads or gems, or a pendant hanging from a cord. As long as it's worn around the neck, it's a necklace. The word, which dates from the late 1500s, combines neck with lace, meaning "cord," from the Old French laz, "string, cord, or snare." The Latin root, laqueum, means "noose or snare."
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.
The first piece presented featured a 10-carat Type IIa diamond—among the rarest and most chemically pure stones—set in a necklace that could be transformed into a ring.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The items included the necklace Dawson gifted Joey for prom, his pilot episode outfit and the cleats he wore on “Varsity Blues.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
With a small gold “LA” necklace glinting against her black overalls, Toruño says L.A. is the closest thing to Central America she has found in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
Sitting cross-legged on a red carpet, artist Mohammad Younes Qane uses an ultra-fine paintbrush to trace details such as a horse's mane or the beads of a necklace.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
The moment his skin lost contact with the turquoise necklace, the creature grunted.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
