neck

[ nek ]

/ nɛk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR neck ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the part of the body of an animal or human being that connects the head and the trunk.

the part of a garment encircling, partly covering, or closest to the neck; neckline.

the length of the neck of a horse or other animal as a measure in racing.

the slender part near the top of a bottle, vase, or similar object.

any narrow, connecting, or projecting part suggesting the neck of an animal.

a narrow strip of land, as an isthmus or a cape.

a strait.

the longer and more slender part of a violin or similar stringed instrument, extending from the body to the head.

Building Trades, Machinery. the part on a shank of a bolt next to the head, especially when it has a special form.

Anatomy. a narrowed part of a bone, organ, or the like.

Dentistry. the slightly narrowed region of a tooth between the crown and the root.

Printing. beard(def 5).

Architecture. a cylindrical continuation of the shaft of a column above the lower astragal of the capital, as in the Roman Doric and Tuscan orders.

Also called volcanic neck. Geology. the solidified lava or igneous rock filling a conduit leading either to a vent of an extinct volcano or to a laccolith.

verb (used without object)

Informal. (of two persons) to embrace, kiss, and caress one another amorously.

verb (used with object)

Informal. to embrace, kiss, and caress (someone) amorously.

to strangle or behead.

Nearby words

necessity, necessity is the mother of invention, nechako, neches, necho, neck, neck and neck, neck cord, neck of the woods, neck sweetbread, neck-rein

Idioms

be up to one's neck, Informal. to have a surfeit; be overburdened: Right now she's up to her neck in work.

break one's neck, Informal. to make a great effort: We broke our necks to get there on time.

get it in the neck, Slang.

to suffer punishment or loss: The trend is to consolidation and small businesses are getting it in the neck.
to be rejected or dismissed: The employees got it in the neck when the company moved overseas.
to be sharply reprimanded or scolded.

neck and neck, even or very close; indeterminate as to the outcome: They were coming toward the finish line neck and neck.

neck of the woods, Informal. neighborhood, area, or vicinity: Next time you're in this neck of the woods, drop in.

stick one's neck out, Informal. to expose oneself to danger, disaster, failure, disgrace, etc.; take a risk: He stuck his neck out by supporting an unpopular candidate.

win by a neck,

to win by a small amount or narrow margin.
Racing. to be first by a head and neck; finish closely.

Origin of neck

before 900; Middle English nekke, Old English hnecca, cognate with Dutch nek nape of neck; akin to German Nacken, Old Norse hnakki nape of neck

Related formsneck·er, nounneck·less, adjectiveneck·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for neck

But his fingers moved through her silky strands of hair, and then down her neck.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His chin rested on the thick plastic collar buckled around his neck.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I received many bruises on my collarbones, neck, chest, and shoulders.
Beaten By His Church for Being Gay|Justin Jones|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo then sought to bring the hulking Garner down by yoking him around the neck.
Eric Garner Was Just a Number to Them|Michael Daly|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The 21-year-old was shot three times—twice in the back and once in the back of his neck.
Chicago’s Cops Don’t Even Get Investigated for Shooting People in the Back|Justin Glawe|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I will fasten up your dress in the neck if that is what you want,” said she.
The Shoulders of Atlas|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
I pinned a clean towel round my neck, barber fashion, and pulling the pins out of my hair, shook it down over my shoulders.
The Motor Maid|Alice Muriel Williamson and Charles Norris Williamson
In his fortitude, he had not even thought of this supreme piety; and he flung his arms round the old woman's neck.
La Grenadiere|Honore de Balzac
His head was covered with an iron cap; but as he looked he laid bare a thin strip of his neck.
Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland|Jeremiah Curtin
Once, her moving fingers 155 felt the little bag hanging from its leathern thong about her neck, in which was the fairy crystal.
Heart of the Blue Ridge|Waldron Baily

British Dictionary definitions for neck

neck

/ (nɛk) /

noun

the part of an organism connecting the head with the rest of the bodyRelated adjectives: cervical, jugular

the part of a garment around or nearest the neck

something resembling a neck in shape or positionthe neck of a bottle

anatomy a constricted portion of an organ or part, such as the cervix of the uterus

a narrow or elongated projecting strip of land; a peninsula or isthmus

a strait or channel

the part of a violin, cello, etc, that extends from the body to the tuning pegs and supports the fingerboard

a solid block of lava from the opening of an extinct volcano, exposed after erosion of the surrounding rock

botany the upper, usually tubular, part of the archegonium of mosses, ferns, etc

the length of a horse's head and neck taken as an approximate distance by which one horse beats another in a raceto win by a neck

informal a short distance, amount, or marginhe is always a neck ahead in new techniques

informal impudence; audacityhe had the neck to ask for a rise

architect the narrow band at the top of the shaft of a column between the necking and the capital, esp as used in the Tuscan order

another name for beard, on printer's type

break one's neck informal to exert oneself greatly, esp by hurrying, in order to do something

by the neck Irish and Scot slang (of a bottle of beer) served unpouredgive me two bottles of stout by the neck

get it in the neck informal to be reprimanded or punished severely

neck and neck absolutely level or even in a race or competition

neck of the woods informal an area or localitya quiet neck of the woods

risk one's neck to take a great risk

informal

save one's neck to escape from a difficult or dangerous situation
save someone's neck to help someone else escape from such a situation

stick one's neck out informal to risk criticism, ridicule, failure, etc, by speaking one's mind

up to one's neck in deeply involved inhe's up to his neck in dodgy dealings

verb

(intr) informal to kiss, embrace, or fondle someone or one another passionately

(tr) British informal to swallow (something, esp a drink)he's been necking pints all night

Derived Formsnecker, noun

Word Origin for neck

Old English hnecca; related to Old High German hnack, Old Irish cnocc hill

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for neck (1 of 2)

neck

Old English hnecca "neck, nape, back of the neck" (a fairly rare word) from Proto-Germanic *khnekkon "the nape of the neck" (cf. Old Frisian hnekka, Middle Dutch necke, Dutch nek, Old Norse hnakkr, Old High German hnach, German Nacken "neck"), with no certain cognates outside Germanic, though Klein's sources suggest PIE *knok- "high point, ridge" (cf. Old Irish cnocc, Welsh cnwch, Old Breton cnoch "hill").

The more usual Old English words were hals (the general Germanic word, cf. Gothic, Old Norse, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, German hals), cognate with Latin collum (see collar (n.)); and swira, probably also from a PIE root meaning "column" (cf. Sanskrit svaru- "post").

Transferred senses attested from c.1400. Phrase neck of the woods (American English) is attested from 1780 in the sense of "narrow stretch of woods;" 1839 with meaning "settlement in a wooded region." To stick one's neck out "take a risk" is first recorded 1919, American English. Horses running neck and neck is attested from 1799.

Word Origin and History for neck (1 of 2)

neck

"to kiss, embrace, caress," 1825 (implied in necking) in northern England dialect, from neck (n.). Cf. Middle English halsen "to embrace or caress affectionately, to fondle sexually," from hals (n.) "neck." Earlier, neck as a verb meant "to kill by a strike on the neck" (mid-15c.). Related: Necked.

Medicine definitions for neck

neck

[ nĕk ]

n.

The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders or trunk.

A narrow or constricted part of a structure, as of a bone or organ, that joins its parts; a cervix.

The part of a tooth between the crown and the root.

Idioms and Phrases with neck

neck

In addition to the idioms beginning with neck

neck and neck
neck of the woods

also see:

albatross around one's neck
break one's back (neck)
breathe down someone's neck
dead from the neck up
millstone around one's neck
pain in the neck
risk life and limb (one's neck)
save someone's bacon (neck)
stick one's neck out
up to one's ears (neck)

neck

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of neck

Examples from the Web for neck

British Dictionary definitions for neck

neck

noun

verb

Word Origin for neck

Word Origin and History for neck (1 of 2)

neck

Word Origin and History for neck (1 of 2)

neck

Medicine definitions for neck

neck

n.

Idioms and Phrases with neck

neck