nape
Americannoun
noun
verb
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
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The First Rule of Punk
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Red Kayak
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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.
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
Her long light brown hair, streaked with gray, was pulled back into a tight ponytail at the nape of her neck.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2023
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
Her black hair, which was normally coiled in two careful braids tucked against the nape of her neck, was coming loose as though she had rushed through her morning rituals.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
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.
