neck

noun
\ ˈnek How to pronounce neck (audio) \

Definition of neck

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a(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

verb
necked; necking; necks

Definition of neck (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for neck

Synonyms: Noun

belt, corridor, land, part(s), region, tract, zone

Visit the Thesaurus for More 

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.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The victim suffered minor injuries to their back of their neck and was taken to the hospital. Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, "Cambridge police search for suspect in fitness class stabbing," 21 Aug. 2019 The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York ruled Garner's death a homicide based on compression of his neck and chest. NBC News, "NYPD fires Officer Daniel Pantaleo for chokehold in Eric Garner's death," 19 Aug. 2019 Prosecutors say Cowell, 29, is responsible for the vicious knife attack on July 22, 2018, that left Wilson dead on the MacArthur BART station platform, and her sister, Letifah Wilson, grievously injured with a wound to her neck. Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Prosecutors won’t seek death penalty in trial of Nia Wilson’s alleged killer," 19 Aug. 2019 The woman was in her bedroom about 6 a.m. when a man held a steak knife to her neck, CNN affiliate WPEC reported. Madeline Holcombe, CNN, "A woman woke up to a stranger assaulting her in 1983. A DNA match finally leads to an arrest," 18 Aug. 2019 The woman was in her bedroom about 6 a.m. when a man held a steak knife to her neck, CNN affiliate WPEC reported. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "A woman woke up to a stranger assaulting her in 1983. A DNA match finally led to an arrest," 18 Aug. 2019 Instead, take black face paint and brush on zig-zag lines going from the top of your neck to your collar bone region. Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "We Can't Get Enough of This Easy Vampire Makeup Tutorial for Halloween," 15 Aug. 2019 The way people talk about Bielsa makes hairs stand up on the back of your neck. SI.com, "Leeds United – Take Us Home: What to Expect From New Amazon Prime Documentary," 15 Aug. 2019 Viv Rook now leads the Four Star Party and wants to be a force in British politics, and Thompson's sometimes scenery-chewing performance as the brashy blonde lands just on the right side of the line to stand up the hairs on the back of your neck. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Years and Years: Dystopian sci-fi that makes Black Mirror feel bubbly," 8 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The femur bone is over six feet long and is thought to have belonged to a sauropod -- a subgroup of herbivorous, long-necked and four-legged dinosaurs common in the Jurassic era. Leah Asmelash And Brian Ries, CNN, "New bone, who dis? Paleontologists say this femur belongs to one of the biggest dinosaurs of all time," 26 July 2019 The American actress embraced her new British role in a sleek white silk boat-necked dress designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller. BostonGlobe.com, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are married in Windsor," 19 May 2018 The giraffes with longer necks were more successful in getting food and produced more longer-necked offspring. Quanta Magazine, "Can Darwinian Evolution Explain Lamarckism?," 11 May 2017 Think of a sauropod, and a species like Brachiosaurus may come to mind: Long-necked, long-tailed, straight-legged with giant bodies and small heads. Amina Khan, latimes.com, "These long-necked, elephant-sized dinosaurs arose long before Brachiosaurus," 9 July 2018 Her dress, with a flowing train 16-feet long, was pure white, boat-necked, and minimal. BostonGlobe.com, "After generations of aristocratic weddings, one reflects modern Britain," 19 May 2018 That improvement will help address bottle-necking around the small streets of Gilbert's popular downtown. Lily Altavena, azcentral, "Parks, roads and more: 7 projects on the horizon for Gilbert taxpayers," 10 May 2018 Long-necked with eyelashes to die for just like her parents, the baby giraffe's umbilical cord was still attached on Tuesday. Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Zoo's latest resident is 6 feet, 1 inch of adorableness," 22 May 2018 In one corner, a business-casual couple were necking in a cozy booth over white wine and small plates of charred swordfish. Tas Tobey, New York Times, "New Speakeasy Memorializes an Old-School Journalist Haunt," 31 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'neck.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of neck

Noun

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

Verb

1842, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for neck

Noun

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

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for neck

neck

noun

English Language Learners Definition of neck

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: the part of the body between the head and the shoulders
: the part of a piece of clothing that fits around your neck
: a long and narrow part of something : a part that is shaped like a neck

neck

verb

English Language Learners Definition of neck (Entry 2 of 2)