What does nape mean?
The nape is the back of the neck, particularly the region at the base of the skull between the neck and the shoulders. Although “nape” is a precise anatomical term, it is also familiar from ordinary descriptions of hairstyles, physical sensation, and the actions of touching or rubbing the neck. A person’s hair may be gathered, tied, trimmed, or brushed at the nape, and a cold breeze may seem to prickle that area. In British and American English, the word is fully standard, though it often sounds more literary or descriptive than the plain phrase “back of the neck.” Its history reaches back to the Greek naphē, meaning the nape of the neck, through Latin and Old French, before the word entered Middle English. The term is useful because it identifies a specific part of the body more elegantly and exactly than the general word “neck.”
nounThe nape is the back of the neck, especially the area at the base of the skull where the neck meets the shoulders. It is also the part of the neck where the hair is often gathered or trimmed.
- The back of the neck, especially the area between the neck and the skull.
"She swept her hair away from the nape of her neck."
"The cold wind prickled the nape of his neck."
"The photographer asked her to relax the muscles at the nape of her neck."
The plural is grammatically regular but uncommon because the word is usually used for the back of one person’s neck.
"The napes of the two horses were touched by the handlers."
The word’s journey runs from the ancient Greek naphē, meaning the back of the neck, to the familiar nape of your neck.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nape come from?
The word comes through Middle English nape, from Old French nape, ultimately from Latin napa, “nape of the neck.” Latin napa is generally traced to the Greek naphē, meaning the back of the neck or the nape. Related anatomical terms include Latin nucha and English nuchal, both associated with the same body region.
How nape is actually used
“Nape” is standard in both British and American English. It is somewhat literary or descriptive compared with the more general phrase “back of the neck,” and it is often used in contexts involving hair, touch, sensation, or anatomy.
Easily confused with nape
A nap is a short period of sleep, whereas the nape is the back part of the neck.
Neap refers to a phase of the Moon’s cycle or a corresponding tide, while nape means the back of the neck.