What does neck mean?
The neck is the part of the body that connects the head with the torso, and it is both a focus of ordinary physical description and a common source of idiomatic language. A person may have a stiff or injured neck, wear a necklace around it, or turn a neck to look behind them. The word also appears in technical and geographical contexts: a bottle has a neck, a road may narrow at the neck of a bend, and a narrow strip of land can be called a neck. In expressions such as neck and neck, it suggests close competition, while neck of the woods gives a humorous, informal sense of a particular locality, often one that is remote or unfashionable. Across these uses, neck combines the literal idea of a connecting or constricted part with figurative ideas of vulnerability, position, access, and competition.
The part of the body connecting the head to the torso, extending from the base of the skull to the shoulders.
"He turned his neck to check the traffic behind him."
Also used figuratively in phrases referring to close competition, remote locations, narrow openings, and the narrow part of an object.
To kiss someone, especially on the neck; also, in British informal use, to put one's arms around someone's neck or hold them closely.
"She necked him impulsively before stepping back."
This use is informal and especially associated with British and Irish English.
The plural necks is used for multiple body parts and for separate necks or narrow sections of objects.
"Two long-necked birds stood side by side at the water's edge."
The word neck names one of the body's most expressive junctions: it can be stiff, vulnerable, elegant, or a place for a necklace to sit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does neck come from?
English neck comes from Old English hnecca, the body part between the head and shoulders. The word belongs to a Germanic family that also includes modern Dutch nek and German Nacken, all referring to the neck or a comparable projecting part. Its compounds and associated words, including necklace and neckband, developed by adding elements meaning a band, ornament, or item worn around the neck. The related English word nape specifically denotes the back of the neck.
Related word forms
How neck is actually used
As a body part, neck is standard in everyday English. The phrases neck and neck and neck of the woods are idiomatic and informal; in the latter expression, neck means a remote or unfashionable place rather than a literal part of the body.
Easily confused with neck
The neck is the whole part joining the head to the body, while the nape specifically refers to the back of the neck.