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¹neck

noun \ˈnek\

: 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

Full Definition of NECK

a (1) : the part of an animal that connects the head with the body (2) : the siphon of a bivalve mollusk (as a clam)

b : the part of a garment that covers or is next to the neck

: a relatively narrow part suggestive of a neck: as

a (1) : the constricted end of a bottle (2) : the slender proximal end of a fruit

b : cervix 2

c : the part of a stringed musical instrument extending from the body and supporting the fingerboard and strings

d : a narrow stretch of land

e : strait 1b

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

: a narrow margin <won by a neck>

: region, part <my neck of the woods>

See neck defined for English-language learners

See neck defined for kids

Origin of NECK

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to NECK

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

Antonyms: country mile, long haul, mile

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

Rhymes with NECK

beck, Cech, check, Czech, deck, dreck, Eck, fleck, heck, Lech, lek, pec, peck, reck, sec, sneck, spec, speck, trek, wreak, wreck

²neck

verb

: to kiss for a long time in a sexual way

Full Definition of NECK

transitive verb

: to kiss and caress amorously

: to reduce in diameter

intransitive verb

: to engage in amorous kissing and caressing

: to become constricted : narrow

See neck defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of NECK

1842

NECK Defined for Kids

neck

noun \ˈnek\

Definition of NECK for Kids

: the part of the body between the head and the shoulders

: the section of a garment covering or nearest to the part connecting the head with the body

: something that is long and narrow or that connects two larger parts <a neck of land> <the neck of a bottle>

— necked \ˈnekt\ adjective

— neck and neck

: so nearly equal (as in a race or election) that one cannot be said to be ahead of the other

Medical Dictionary

neck

noun \ˈnek\

Medical Definition of NECK

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

: a relatively narrow part suggestive of a neck: as a : a narrow part of a bone <the neck of the femur> b : cervix 2 c : the part of a tooth between the crown and the root