Nape

Nape

Noun · /neɪp/

Definition

The back of the neck; the area at the base of the skull where the neck meets the head.

Origin

Of uncertain origin — possibly from Old French nape (tablecloth, cloth), as the nape of the neck being the part covered by a cloth or napkin, or from a different word entirely. The etymology being genuinely uncertain and debated. The word appearing in Middle English from the 14th century. The nape being an anatomically and culturally significant area — the site of several important structures (the suboccipital muscles, the atlas and axis vertebrae, the spinal cord's exit from the skull) and having aesthetic significance in various cultural traditions.