nape
Americannoun
-
napes
plural
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of nape
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50
Explanation
The nape of your neck is the back of your neck. If you have a ponytail, you might enjoy feeling it brush against the nape of your neck. Your nape is the base of your neck, the spot where the back of your hair begins. A low braid or ponytail sits at the nape of a woman's neck, and a shoulder massage often includes the nape of your neck and the base of your skull. The origin of nape is uncertain, though one guess is that it came from the Old French hanap, or "goblet," a possible reference to the hollow at the nape of the neck.
Vocabulary lists containing nape
Bronx Masquerade
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The First Rule of Punk
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Red Kayak
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Boys' hair could not cover the nape of their necks, while girls with long hair had to tie it up.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2025
Her long tresses are twisted in an easy crown, flowing from the crest of her forehead to the nape of her neck and signaling her noble status.
From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2024
The hair at the nape of the neck, which is typically shorter, kinkier and considered more difficult to style.
From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2023
That might include a word like “kitchen,” which is a term used to describe the hair that grows at the nape of the neck.
From New York Times ● Jul. 21, 2022
In the back room, she tucked a few wayward strands into the hair bun at her nape and tied an apron over her housedress.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Their napes are festooned with triangular plumage as consistent as the teeth of a comb.
From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2021
Dr. Sano grafted skin on rats' chests or the napes of their necks, the areas that move the most.
From Time Magazine Archive
They parted it from their foreheads to the napes of their necks and then they parted it across from ear to ear.
From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
You talk of pride: O that you could turn your eyes toward the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good selves!
From Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
O that you could turn your eyes toward the napes of your necks, and make but an interior survey of your good selves!
From The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
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.
