rubberneck
[ ruhb-er-nek ]
/ ˈrʌb ərˌnɛk /
verb (used without object)
to look about or stare with great curiosity, as by craning the neck or turning the head.
verb (used with object)
to gawk at: The tieup was due to drivers rubbernecking an accident.
noun Also rub·ber·neck·er.
a sightseer; tourist.
an extremely curious person.
Nearby words
rubber-faced, rubber-stamp, rubberbanding, rubberize, rubberman disease, rubberneck, rubbers, rubbery, rubbia, rubbia, carlo, rubbing
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for rubberneck
British Dictionary definitions for rubberneck
rubberneck
/ (ˈrʌbəˌnɛk) slang /
noun
a person who stares or gapes inquisitively, esp in a naive or foolish manner
a sightseer or tourist
verb
(intr) to stare in a naive or foolish manner
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for rubberneck
rubberneck
1897, "person who is always listening to other people's conversation; person who gazes around him with undue curiosity," from rubber + neck (n.). Popularized with reference to sightseers in automobiles. As a verb from 1896. Related: Rubbernecking (1896); rubbernecker (1934).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper