Neck

Neck

Noun / Verb · /nek/

Definition

(Noun) the part of the body connecting the head to the rest of the body; the narrow part at the top of a bottle, vessel, or similar object; a narrow connecting strip of land; (Verb, informal) to kiss and caress amorously; to drink quickly.

Origin

From Old English hnecca (back of the neck), of Proto-Germanic origin, related to German Nacken (nape of the neck), Old Norse hnakki. The Old English word originally referring specifically to the back of the neck or nape, with the general sense of the whole neck developing later. The Proto-Indo-European root being uncertain. The neck of a bottle, neck of land, neck of the woods all being metaphorical extensions from the anatomical meaning based on the narrow connecting form.