necklace
Americannoun
noun
-
a chain, band, or cord, often bearing beads, pearls, jewels, etc, worn around the neck as an ornament, esp by women
-
(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:
"They should be able to wear their Star of David necklace or their kippah, and they should be able to celebrate Jewish life."
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Jeff’s gold necklace was given as a symbol as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Investigators said they had seized eight vehicles, including a Ferrari 296 GTS valued at nearly $600,000; over $30 million in bank accounts; a custom $865,000 Bulgari necklace; and $1 million worth of other luxury jewelry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Cocona sports a necklace that reads "rock star".
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Mamá lets go of me and reaches up to unfasten her gold necklace with the small Star of David on it.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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
Back at the shoot, Saar is wearing one of these leather necklaces, paired with a Gucci kaftan that makes her petite frame look 20 feet tall.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
Fast-forward to the 17th century, pretzels became commonplace in Germany, where necklaces adorned with the baked goods were worn by children on New Year’s Day to usher in good luck.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
Beads slipped and rolled away at my touch, and I couldn’t make the complicated knots and loops that gave your necklaces a finished look.
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
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.
