necklace
Americannoun
-
necklaces
plural
noun
-
a chain, band, or cord, often bearing beads, pearls, jewels, etc, worn around the neck as an ornament, esp by women
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(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:
It touted the spoils of fraud seized from defendants, including an $865,000 Bulgari necklace and a Ferrari 296 GTS valued at nearly $600,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
If the truck and the Walkman were metaphorical beacons, a modest gold, rope necklace and Jeff Kent’s mustache were concealed anchors even when in plain sight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 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
Cocona sports a necklace that reads "rock star".
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
She’s wearing flowy clothes, and around her neck is a necklace with a red crystal.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
What’s one more charm on one of several necklaces already heavy with lockets and hearts?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
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
Observations show the people use narrow outrigger canoes, live in large communal huts, carry spears, bows and arrows, and wear fibre waistbelts, as well as necklaces and headbands.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
“Don’t be ridiculous. I would never repeat necklaces so close together—that one had the rubies in it. This one just has a few emeralds.”
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
