collar

American  

[kol-er] / ˈkɒl ər /

noun

1. the part of a shirt, coat, dress, blouse, etc., that encompasses the neckline of the garment and is sewn permanently to it, often so as to fold or roll over.

2. a similar but separate, detachable article of clothing worn around the neck or at the neckline of a garment.

3. anything worn or placed around the neck.

4. a leather or metal band or a chain, fastened around the neck of an animal, used especially as a means of restraint or identification.

5. the part of the harness that fits across the withers and over the shoulders of a draft animal, designed to distribute the pressure of the load drawn.

6. an ornamental necklace worn as insignia of an order of knighthood.

7. a narrow strip of leather or other material stitched around the top of a shoe as reinforcement or trimming.

8. Zoology. any of various collarlike markings or structures around the neck; torque.

9. Metallurgy.

   1. a raised area of metal for reinforcing a weld.

   2. a raised rim at the end of a roll in a rolling mill to check lateral expansion of the metal being rolled.

10. Machinery. a short ring formed on or fastened over a rod or shaft as a locating or holding part.

11. (in iron or steel construction) a rigid frame for maintaining the form of an opening.

12. the upper rim of a borehole, shot hole, or mine shaft.

13. Also called bracelet.  a narrow horizontal molding encircling the top or bottom of a furniture leg.

14. Glassmaking. merese.

15. Informal.

    1. an arrest; capture.

    2. a person placed under arrest.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put a collar on; furnish with a collar.

   They finally succeeded in collaring the unwilling dog.

2. to seize by the collar or neck.

   We collared the little fellow and brought him, struggling all the while, into the house.

3. to detain (someone anxious to leave) in conversation.

   The reporters collared the witness for an hour.

4. to lay hold of, seize, or take.

5. Informal. to place under arrest.

6. to roll up and bind (meat, fish, etc.) for cooking.

verb (used without object)

1. Metalworking. (of a piece being rolled) to wrap itself around a roller.

idioms

1. hot under the collar, angry; excited; upset.

collar British  

/ ˈkɒlə /

noun

1. the part of a garment around the neck and shoulders, often detachable or folded over

2. any band, necklace, garland, etc, encircling the neck

   a collar of flowers

3. a band or chain of leather, rope, or metal placed around an animal's neck to restrain, harness, or identify it

4. biology a marking or structure resembling a collar, such as that found around the necks of some birds or at the junction of a stem and a root

5. a section of a shaft or rod having a locally increased diameter to provide a bearing seat or a locating ring

6. a cut of meat, esp bacon, taken from around the neck of an animal

7. informal aroused with anger, annoyance, etc

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verb

1. to put a collar on; furnish with a collar

2. to seize by the collar

3. informal to seize; arrest; detain

collar More Idioms  

1. see hot under the collar.

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Other Word Forms

• collarless
  adjective
• uncollar
  verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of collar

1250–1300; Middle English coler < Anglo-French; Old French colier < Latin collāre neckband, collar, equivalent to coll ( um ) neck + -āre, neuter (as noun) of -āris -ar ¹; spelling later conformed to Latin ( -ar ² )

Explanation

A collar goes around a neck. For a human, it’s the neckband of a shirt or jacket. For an animal, it’s a neckband that attaches to a leash, kills fleas, or makes a poodle feel fancy. The color of your collar says something about what you do. “Blue collar” refers to people who do manual labor while “white collar” refers to people with desk jobs. Animals generally don’t care what their collars look like. When it's a verb, collar means "apprehend" or "arrest," as when a police detective finally collars an elusive bank robber. This meaning arose from the 17th century use of collar, "grab someone by the neck."

Example Sentences

Which is maybe why he wore neither collar nor tie too.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

A collar and bow tie, worn by Sir David Suchet as Poirot, also sold for £650.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

He bought a bottle of rosé, posed for photos with Delilah and Sarmiento and went off — but not before a staffer adjusted the back of his collar.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

“In the end, stability depends less on collar color and more on the specific occupation, industry, and skills you build,” Puri said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

The jacket was the first thing I’d been given that was mine indefinitely, with my name embroidered in gold inside the collar.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• choker