neck

1 of 2

noun

1
a(1)
: the part of an animal that connects the head with the body
(2)
: the siphon of a bivalve mollusk (such as a clam)
b
: the part of a garment that covers or is next to the neck
2
: a relatively narrow part suggestive of a neck: such as
a(1)
: the constricted end of a bottle
(2)
: the slender proximal end of a fruit
c
: the part of a stringed musical instrument extending from the body and supporting the fingerboard and strings
d
: a narrow stretch of land
f
: the part of a tooth between the crown and the root see tooth illustration
g
: a column of solidified magma of a volcanic pipe or laccolith
3
: a narrow margin
won by a neck
4
: region, part
my neck of the woods

neck

2 of 2

verb

necked; necking; necks

transitive verb

1
: to kiss and caress amorously
2
: to reduce in diameter

intransitive verb

1
: to engage in amorous kissing and caressing
2
: to become constricted : narrow

Examples of neck in a Sentence

Noun She craned her neck to see what was going on. A giraffe is an animal with a very long neck. He broke his neck in the accident. He likes T-shirts with round necks. He grabbed the neck of the bottle. Verb The young lovers necked on the park bench. They were necking in the corner of the room.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And while the most obvious repercussion—an achy neck—may seem annoying but harmless, the reality can actually be more serious. Jenny McCoy, SELF, 23 Oct. 2024 Those tasks may sound easy, but there’s a catch: The athletes, who are all paralyzed from the neck down, will attempt to complete them using only the power of their thoughts. Dana MacKenzie, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
Joby Aviation Now Joby leverages hydrogen toward necking out ahead of the competition ... for the moment. New Atlas, 11 July 2024 But giraffes present a particularly strong rebuttal to that practice, because males don’t just sometimes neck with other males. Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 19 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for neck 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English nekke, from Old English hnecca; akin to Old High German hnac nape

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1842, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of neck was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near neck

Cite this Entry

“Neck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neck. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

neck

noun
ˈnek
1
: the part of the body connecting the head and the main part of the body
2
: the part of a garment covering or nearest to the neck
3
a
: something like a neck in shape or position
the neck of a bottle
a neck of land
b
: the part of a tooth between the crown and the root
necked
ˈnekt
adjective

Medical Definition

neck

noun
1
a
: the usually narrowed part of an animal that connects the head with the body
specifically : the cervical region of a vertebrate
b
: the part of a tapeworm immediately behind the scolex from which new proglottids are produced
2
: a relatively narrow part suggestive of a neck: as
a
: a narrow part of a bone
the neck of the femur
c
: the part of a tooth between the crown and the root

More from Merriam-Webster on neck

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!