noun
neck
NEHK
noun
1
The part of the body connecting the head to the shoulders and trunk.
"He wrapped a scarf around his neck."
2
The narrow part of a bottle, near the opening.
"Hold the bottle by the neck when pouring."
3
The long, narrow part of a stringed instrument that holds the fingerboard.
"She slid her fingers up the guitar's neck."
4
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger areas.
"The peninsula is joined to the mainland by a narrow neck of land."
verb
1
Informal: to kiss and cuddle passionately.
"They were necking in the back row of the cinema."
How to Use Neck
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe body part joining head to shoulders, or by extension any narrow connecting part.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
neck and neck
a pain in the neck
stick your neck out
bottleneck
Word Forms
necked past tense, necks plural, necks plural, necks singular
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Etymology
From Old English hnecca ("neck, nape"), from a Proto-Germanic root also seen in Dutch nek and German Nacken.