What does necking mean?
“Necking” principally means kissing in a romantic or sexual way. It has a somewhat old-fashioned, literary quality, so modern speakers may prefer expressions such as “kissing,” “smooching,” or “making out.” The word can also refer to strangling or killing by strangling, a sense encountered especially in historical accounts and legal language. In materials science and engineering, “necking” names the localized narrowing of a ductile material when it is stretched under tension. A bar or specimen that develops a neck may eventually fracture at that narrowed point. These unrelated-looking meanings all provide a context for interpreting the word accurately. It is an uncommon term today, but it is useful because it preserves a vivid record of older usage while also naming a precise engineering phenomenon.
nounThe act of kissing, especially in a romantic or sexual context. The word can also mean strangling or killing by strangling, while in engineering it denotes the localized narrowing of a material under tensile stress.
- Kissing, especially romantic or sexual kissing.
- The localized reduction in cross-sectional area that occurs in a ductile material under tensile stress.
- Strangulation or killing by strangling, chiefly in historical or legal terminology.
"They were interrupted during their necking by the sudden arrival of her parents."
"The scene ended with the couple stealing a moment of necking behind the curtains."
"Engineers examined the necking of the alloy after it fractured under tension."
The noun is usually uncountable; the plural “neckings” is uncommon but is used when separate instances or episodes of the activity are being counted.
"Their brief neckings were repeatedly interrupted by passing family members."
“Necking” can name both a lover’s kiss and the narrowing of a metal specimen under tension.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does necking come from?
The word is formed from “neck” and the Germanic suffix “-ing,” which marks an action. English “neck” descends from Old English “hnecca,” whose wider Proto-Germanic and Indo-European ancestry is reconstructed from forms in several Germanic languages and the root for the nape of the neck. Words such as “necklace,” “neckband,” and “neckerchief” were subsequently formed from the same English root.
How necking is actually used
In its original romantic sense, “necking” sounds dated or literary to many modern speakers and may sound awkward in ordinary conversation. The engineering and legal senses are specialized; context is essential because the word can otherwise sound intimate or suggestive.