necklace
Americannoun
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necklaces
plural
noun
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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:
A gold necklace given to her by her partner will go back to him.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
After seizing the necklace, they fled "towards the Vienna Stadtpark" just south of the museum, they said.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
She wears a pearl-trimmed French hood; a dark, square-necked gown with white lace, gold and pearl trim; a pearl necklace; and, with one exception, a pearl necklace with the pendant initials “AB” or “B.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Inscribed “The Moost Happi,” it shows Anne with a gable hood and an unmonogrammed necklace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
On his chest he wore a magnificent necklace of red deer teeth.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Around the time, it was trendy for people to wear squirt toys shaped like zoo animals as necklaces or keychains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Both men were found wearing necklaces featuring pins to remove the handsets' Sim cards.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 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
The woman opened a cupboard to show Liyana dozens of lovely necklaces hanging on nails.
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
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.
