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REFERENCE

neck

n. · v.
US //ˈnɛk// UK //nˈɛk// neck
  1. 1 anatomy (n.)
    A2 Elementary Medicine

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

  2. 2 clothing (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    She preferred a V-neck design, as it provided more comfort and a more flattering silhouette than a traditional crew neck.
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  1. 3 narrow part of an object (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Engineering

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

  2. 4 narrow land (n.)
    C1 Advanced Literary Geology

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    The army was forced to retreat across a thin neck of land, making them vulnerable to naval bombardment from both sides.
  3. 5 to drink quickly (v.)
    C1 Advanced British English Slang

    to drink something very quickly, often in one go.

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

    Example

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

    Example

    After the toast, the guests necked their champagne and headed toward the dance floor.
Etymology 1

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”).

Etymology 2

From Danish nøkke, Swedish näck.

Word family
Idioms13 entries

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