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
b
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
necked; necking; necks
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2023
The beauty of this tool is its neck, which can be positioned vertically or horizontally to make your styling experience a total breeze.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 24 Nov. 2023
According to a post on Facebook by the Humble Police Department, the woman, who is being accused of felony animal cruelty, is seen tying up a dog to a dumpster with a piece of orange cord around his neck.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2023
The Ultimate Relaxation Turn any bath into a luxurious spa experience with this Bathtub Pillow that provides neck and back support with its soft 4D mesh fabric.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
The treatment involves injecting an anesthetic into the stellate ganglion — a tangle of nerves in the neck that deliver signals to the head, neck, arms and upper chest.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
Another third of that hundred and fifty pounds might be from the neck up—from his horns alone, which are as thick as old wisteria vines and have spiralled to form a sort of helmet.
—David Sedaris, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
That lets blood collect in the upper body, triggering pressure sensors in your heart and the carotid vessels of your neck, which then send hormonal instructions to urinate more and decrease blood production.
—Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
And on the occasion of her 40th birthday, Chung stunned in a latex moment, wearing a black sleeveless mock neck dress with pink, full-length latex gloves.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2023
Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 7 June 2023
The 7mm-08 is just the 308 Win. necked down.
—Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2023
Made of flexible raffia, J.Crew’s best-selling wide-brim hat nails the classic, semi-floppy sun hat look while being totally functional, too — the brim gave my face and neck full sun coverage.
—Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2023
Fonda, Tomlin, Field and Moreno chatted about everything from the aging process to neck problems to sports stats after the screening.
—Malina Saval, Variety, 7 Jan. 2023
Non-electric scalp massagers can be used when applying shampoo or conditioner, while electronic models are typically used outside of the shower, and can often be used on your feet or neck too.
—Kathleen Willcox, Popular Mechanics, 14 Dec. 2022
The rookie fifth-round pick played 40 defensive snaps in his NFL debut despite having missed the entire spring, training camp and preseason to neck surgery.
—Dallas News, 16 Nov. 2022
If your loved on has been experiencing back or neck pain due to their old mattress, a mattress topper may be the perfect gift.
—Deirdre Mundorf, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2021
Relieve back and neck pain and improve your posture.
—Mark Stock, Men's Health, 22 Nov. 2022
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Noun
The chunky plaid one here comes in nine different colors and can easily wrap around your neck several times.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2023
The beauty of this tool is its neck, which can be positioned vertically or horizontally to make your styling experience a total breeze.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 24 Nov. 2023
According to a post on Facebook by the Humble Police Department, the woman, who is being accused of felony animal cruelty, is seen tying up a dog to a dumpster with a piece of orange cord around his neck.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2023
The Ultimate Relaxation Turn any bath into a luxurious spa experience with this Bathtub Pillow that provides neck and back support with its soft 4D mesh fabric.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
The treatment involves injecting an anesthetic into the stellate ganglion — a tangle of nerves in the neck that deliver signals to the head, neck, arms and upper chest.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
Another third of that hundred and fifty pounds might be from the neck up—from his horns alone, which are as thick as old wisteria vines and have spiralled to form a sort of helmet.
—David Sedaris, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
That lets blood collect in the upper body, triggering pressure sensors in your heart and the carotid vessels of your neck, which then send hormonal instructions to urinate more and decrease blood production.
—Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
And on the occasion of her 40th birthday, Chung stunned in a latex moment, wearing a black sleeveless mock neck dress with pink, full-length latex gloves.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2023
Verb
At Christmastime, Klansmen dressed as Santa Claus and puritanical vigilantes smashed speakeasies and harassed young men and women found necking in their cars.
—Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, 7 June 2023
The 7mm-08 is just the 308 Win. necked down.
—Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2023
Made of flexible raffia, J.Crew’s best-selling wide-brim hat nails the classic, semi-floppy sun hat look while being totally functional, too — the brim gave my face and neck full sun coverage.
—Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2023
Fonda, Tomlin, Field and Moreno chatted about everything from the aging process to neck problems to sports stats after the screening.
—Malina Saval, Variety, 7 Jan. 2023
Non-electric scalp massagers can be used when applying shampoo or conditioner, while electronic models are typically used outside of the shower, and can often be used on your feet or neck too.
—Kathleen Willcox, Popular Mechanics, 14 Dec. 2022
The rookie fifth-round pick played 40 defensive snaps in his NFL debut despite having missed the entire spring, training camp and preseason to neck surgery.
—Dallas News, 16 Nov. 2022
If your loved on has been experiencing back or neck pain due to their old mattress, a mattress topper may be the perfect gift.
—Deirdre Mundorf, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2021
Relieve back and neck pain and improve your posture.
—Mark Stock, Men's Health, 22 Nov. 2022
See More
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
Phrases Containing neck
Dictionary Entries Near neck
Cite this Entry
“Neck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neck. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
neck
nounˈnek
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
adjective
ˈnekt
Medical Definition
neck
noun1
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
b
c
: the part of a tooth between the crown and the root
More from Merriam-Webster on neck
Nglish: Translation of neck for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of neck for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about neck
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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