necklace

American  

[nek-lis] / ˈnɛk lɪs /

noun

1. a piece of jewelry consisting of a string of stones, beads, jewels, or the like, or a chain of gold, silver, or other metal, for wearing around the neck.

---

necklace British  

/ ˈnɛklɪs /

noun

1. a chain, band, or cord, often bearing beads, pearls, jewels, etc, worn around the neck as an ornament, esp by women

2. (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

1. (tr) to kill (someone) by placing a burning tyre round his or her neck

Etymology

Origin of necklace

1580–90; neck + lace (in the sense “a cord or string to pull opposite ends together”)

Example Sentences

On her necklace was a tiny pendant in the shape of a dove.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

When gymnast Jordan Chiles was stripped of her bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee, Flav gifted her a bronze, oversized clock necklace as a replacement.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Sitting cross-legged on a red carpet, artist Mohammad Younes Qane uses an ultra-fine paintbrush to trace details such as a horse's mane or the beads of a necklace.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Zhao, a woman sporting an intricately carved gold medallion on a necklace of jade beads and shimmering bangles on her wrist, brought her late grandfather's ring to the recycling machine.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

She touched her necklace and looked at the photograph on her lap.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Related Words

• choker
• jewelry
• pendant
• strand