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
-
(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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
They showed a photograph of Nguyen in a red dress and a pearl necklace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Bathed in daylight from a window and the interior refraction of a mirror, a young woman adjusts her necklace and studies her image.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
"It should not be like this. Not only in holy places -- nowhere should this happen," Kovalchuk, who was wearing a thin necklace with a silver cross, said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
The singer also wore white Louboutin heels and a serpentine necklace by Bulgari.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
On his chest he wore a magnificent necklace of red deer teeth.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The museum also confirmed it lost a bust, brooches, a perfume bottle, two bracelets, comb, hatpin, belt buckle and several necklaces and pendants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Partygoers seemed more enthused about the vendor selling beaded plushie necklaces than about heading to the dance floor.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
"That bag! That bag!" one shopper shouts while racing through the warehouse, filled with everything from colourful toys -- including popular Gundam action figures -- to ceramic bowls, beaded necklaces and even used umbrellas.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Back at the shoot, Saar is wearing one of these leather necklaces, paired with a Gucci kaftan that makes her petite frame look 20 feet tall.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
The money we made selling your necklaces was all we had that day—and it was even less than we’d made last time.
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
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.
