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neck

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neck¹

  • /ˈnɛk/
  • [ˈnɛk]

Rhymes with -ɛk

Where it comes from

From Middle English nekke, nakke, from Old English hnecca, *hnæcca (“neck, nape”), from Proto-West Germanic *hnakkō, from Proto-Germanic *hnakkô (“nape, neck”), from Proto-Indo-European *knog-, *kneg- (“back of the head, nape, neck”).

Cognate with Scots nek (“neck”), North Frisian neek, neeke, Nak (“neck”), Saterland Frisian Näkke (“neck”), West Frisian nekke (“neck”), Dutch nek (“neck”), German Low German Nack (“neck”), German Nacken (“nape of the neck”), Danish nakke (“neck”), Swedish nacke (“nape of the neck”), Icelandic hnakki (“neck”), Tocharian A kñuk (“neck, nape”). Possibly a mutated variant of *kneug/k (compare Old English hnocc (“hook, penis”), Welsh cnwch (“joint, knob”), Latvian knaūķis (“dwarf”). Doublet of nek. More at nook. Displaced halse (“neck, throat”) and swire (“neck”).

noun necks

  1. The part of the body connecting the head and the trunk found in humans and some animals. Giraffes have long necks.

    Similar: scrag

  2. The corresponding part in some other anatomical contexts.
  3. The part of a shirt, dress etc., which fits a person's neck.
  4. The tapered part of a bottle toward the opening.
  5. The slender tubelike extension atop an archegonium, through which the sperm swim to reach the egg. Archegonia are surrounded early in their development by the juvenile perianth, through the slender beak of which the elongated neck of the fertilized archegonium protrudes.
  6. The extension of any stringed instrument on which a fingerboard is mounted
  7. A long narrow tract of land projecting from the main body, or a narrow tract connecting two larger tracts.
  8. A reduction in size near the end of an object, formed by a groove around it. a neck forming the journal of a shaft
  9. The constriction between the root and crown of a tooth.
  10. The gorgerin of a capital.
  11. A volcanic plug, solidified lava filling the vent of an extinct volcano.
  12. The small part of a gun between the chase and the swell of the muzzle.
  13. figuratively A person's life. to risk one's neck; to save someone's neck
  14. Multicultural London English, informal, slang A falsehood; a lie.
  15. slang Fellatio Shorty throw neck like a geese She make me speak Portuguese

    Similar: Kirk

  16. historical A bundle of wheat used in certain English harvest ceremonies. The person with 'the neck' stands in the centre, grasping it with both his hands

Similar: cervix, collum

verb necks · necking · necked

  1. slang, transitive To hang by the neck; strangle; kill, eliminate. Go neck yourself.
  2. US, informal, intransitive To intently kiss or cuddle; to canoodle. Alan and Betty were necking in the back of a car when Betty's dad caught them.

    Similar: make out, French kiss, grope, pet, smoodge, snog, buss, goozer, kiss, lallygag, lips, lock lips

  3. slang, transitive To drink or swallow rapidly. Actually, mostly I swan around in my silver sports car, necking drugs, and feeling sorry for myself.

    Similar: chug

  4. intransitive To decrease in diameter. Since this temperature would place the bolt in its creep range, it will slowly stretch, necking down as it does so. Eventually it will get too thin to support the weight, and the bolt will break.

neck²

Where it comes from

From Danish nøkke, Swedish näck.

noun necks

  1. A shapeshifting water spirit in Germanic mythology and folklore; a nix. The Neck no more upon the river sings. And no Mermaid to bleach her linen flings Upon the waves in the mild solar ray.

    Similar: nis, nix, nixie, nixy

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: cervix, make out, elbow, cervical, mouth, nose, throat, skin, gorge, hen, head, shoulder, necklace, bottleneck, snare, threading

noun

Similar: cervix, collum

Translations

Every language

noun part of body connecting the head and the trunk

Españolcuello, pescuezo
한국어목 mok
日本語首 kubi
中文頸 /颈 jǐng, 頸項 /颈项 jǐngxiàng, 脖子 bózi
हिन्दीगर्दन gardan, कंठ kaṇṭh, ग्रीवा grīvā, गला galā
Kiswahilishingo
Portuguêspescoço
Françaiscou, nuque
DeutschHals, Nacken, Genick
Italianocollo
Ελληνικάλαιμός laimós
Românăgât, ceafă, grumaz
Русскийше́я šéja, вы́я výja
Tiếng Việtcổ
العربيةرَقَبَة raqaba, عُنُق ʕunuq
עבריתצַוָּאר, צוואר tsavár

noun part of a shirt, dress etc.

Españolcuello
日本語襟 eri
हिन्दीगला galā
Portuguêsgola
Françaiscol
DeutschKragen
Italianocollo
Românăguler
Русскийво́рот vórot

noun tapered part of a bottle

Españolcuello, gollete
日本語首 kubi
हिन्दीगला galā
Portuguêsgargalo
Françaisgoulot
DeutschHals, Flaschenhals
Italianocollo
Românăgât
Русскийго́рлышко górlyško

noun extension of stringed instrument

Españolcuello, mástil
日本語棹 sao
中文琴桿 /琴杆 qíngān
हिन्दीडाँड ḍā̃ḍ
Portuguêsbraço
Françaismanche
DeutschHals
Românăgât
Русскийгриф grif

noun long narrow tract of land projecting from the main body, or a narrow tract connecting two larger tracts

Русскийпереше́ек perešéjek

verb hang by the neck; strangle; kill

Españolapercollar, apergollar
日本語縊る kubiru
Portuguêsesganar, estrangular, enforcar
Deutschhängen, erhängen, würgen, erwürgen
Italianostrangolare, appendere per il collo, impiccare
Românăstrangula, sugruma, spânzura

verb make love

日本語いちゃつく ichatsuku, 戯れる tawamureru
Deutschknutschen, sich küssen, sich lieben
Italianopomiciare, limonare, slinguare, fare l'amore

verb drink rapidly

日本語飲む nomu
Deutschschlucken, saufen, stürzen, hinunterstürzen, runterstürzen

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"neck." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/neck. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

neck. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/neck

Chicago

"neck." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/neck.

BibTeX
@misc{neck_2026,
  title = {neck},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/neck},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}