What does "neck" mean?

Q: What does "neck" mean?

1. (anatomy) the part of the body that joins the head to the shoulders. 2. (clothing) the part of a piece of clothing that goes around your neck. 3. (narrow part of an object) the narrow part of an object, like a bottle or a guitar. 4. (narrow land) a narrow piece of land that sticks out into the water or connects two larger areas. 5. (to drink quickly) to drink something very quickly, often in one go.

neck — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01anatomy

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Medicine

n. the part of the body that joins the head to the shoulders.

n. the part of the body connecting the head and the trunk in humans and many vertebrates.

“He wore a warm scarf around his neck to protect himself from the cold wind.”

“The patient complained of a persistent stiffness in her neck, likely caused by poor posture during long hours at her desk.”

02clothing

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the part of a piece of clothing that goes around your neck.

n. the part of a garment, such as a shirt or sweater, that fits around the wearer's neck.

“The neck of this sweater is a bit too tight for me.”

“She preferred a V-neck design, as it provided more comfort and a more flattering silhouette than a traditional crew neck.”

Synonyms

neckline collar

03narrow part of an object

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Engineering

n. the narrow part of an object, like a bottle or a guitar.

n. a narrow or tapered section of an object, typically near the top or end.

“He held the wine bottle by the neck as he poured the drinks.”

“The luthier carefully sanded the neck of the guitar to ensure the musician could move their hand smoothly between frets.”

04narrow land

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Geology Literary

n. a narrow piece of land that sticks out into the water or connects two larger areas.

n. a long, narrow tract of land projecting from a main body or connecting two larger landmasses.

“The lighthouse was built on a narrow neck of land reaching into the sea.”

“The army was forced to retreat across a thin neck of land, making them vulnerable to naval bombardment from both sides.”

Synonyms

isthmus strip

05to drink quickly

C1 · Advanced British English · Slang

v. to drink something very quickly, often in one go.

v. to swallow or drink a liquid rapidly, especially an alcoholic beverage.

“He necked his pint of beer and stood up to leave.”

“After the toast, the guests necked their champagne and headed toward the dance floor.”

Synonyms

gulp down

Antonyms

sip

From Middle English nekke, nakke, from Old English hnecca, hnæcca (“neck, nape”), 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”).