🦒 Body part 🍾 Narrow part 👗 Part of clothing 🌄 Narrow land strip 🥩 A meat cut 💏 To kiss closely

neck

109 2.8

A narrow part of an object like a bottle or guitar

noun
/nɛk/

: cuello

The trumpet's neck is designed to support the bell's wide opening.
narrow neck
guitar neck
neck of a balloon

Examples

Scarlett flicked the neck of her horse with her crop, and it walked marginally faster.

Fiction book (1991)
A small upper airway predisposes to OSA. This can be due to a larger neck size and obesity.

Academic text (2011)
Another button on my ankle; another on my neck set off an internal alarm.

Fiction book (1990)
Before you throw the ball up you place it in the exact center of the neck of the racket.

Challengers (2024)
If you partially squeeze the neck of a balloon, it will deflate more slowly.

Academic text (2012)
However, it is true that its neck is very large, massive, sinewy, fleshy, and very strong.

Academic text (1996)
Delicately wrought in silver, its hinged neck had unlatched to reveal a bracelet studded with amethysts.

Fiction book (1992)
The bottle has a slender neck that makes it easy to pour the liquid.
When the instrument was damaged, we had to replace the entire neck to restore its sound.

Idioms

neck and neck

28 3.5

So close in a race or competition that it is hard to tell who will win

to stick one's neck out

22 7.2

To take a risk by saying or doing something that may get you in trouble

neck of the woods

Informal

21 3.2

The local area you live in or near

pain in the neck

Informal

11 4.1

A person or thing that is annoying and causes trouble

up to my neck

Informal

3 7.6

Very busy with difficult work or problems and almost overwhelmed

albatross around one's neck

Informal

2 8.6

A constant problem or responsibility that is hard to get rid of

up to one's neck

Informal

2 7.9

Being very busy with a lot of difficult work or problems

up to your neck

Informal

1 7.9

Very involved in a difficult situation with too much to do

dead from the neck up

Offensive

9.5

Too tired to think clearly or pay attention

to fall on someone's neck

7.2

Hug someone tightly because you feel very happy or relieved

up to (one's) neck

Informal

6.8

Having too much work or too many problems to deal with

up to one's neck in alligators

Informal

9.6

Very busy dealing with many difficult problems

Compounds

V-neck

8 2.6

A neckline shaped like the letter V that slopes down in the front

neck brace

Specialized

7 3.8

A support worn around the neck to keep it still and help it heal

neck-deep

4 6.9

Very involved in a difficult situation that is hard to manage

neck bone

Specialized

3 3.7

A small bone in the neck that helps protect the spine

crew neck

1 2.1

A round neckline that sits close to the base of the neck on sweaters or t-shirts

bull neck

1 7.4

A very thick, short neck that makes someone look strong

neck exercise

1 3.4

A movement that makes the neck muscles stronger or more flexible

beef neck

2.8

A cut of beef from the cow's neck used for slow cooking and making broth

keyhole neck

6.6

A neckline with a small round or teardrop cutout below the collarbones

long-neck clam

4.4

A type of shellfish with a thin oval shell and a long thin neck eaten as food

mock polo neck

6.3

A short, close-fitting collar that stands up but does not fold over

mock polo neck collar

7.6

A short soft collar that stands up around the neck and is sewn to the top

gamer neck

Texting

8.6

Neck pain from sitting with bad posture while playing video games

neck opening

3.2

A hole in clothing like a shirt or dress where the neck goes

neck ruff

Archaic

9.9

A high, stiff collar made of linen or lace worn around the neck

neck sweetbread

Specialized

9.9

A soft part from an animal's neck that people eat

pencil-neck

Offensive

9.9

A person who is thin and seen as weak or nerdy

polo-neck collar

3.4

A high, close-fitting part of a shirt or sweater that folds over and covers the neck

polo-neck

4.3

A sweater with a high collar that folds over

swan-neck

Specialized

9.9

A kind of orchid with long curved flower stems like a swan's neck

How Narrow

neck

109 2.8

neck opening

3.2

Surface Forms

neck singular

necks plural

Etymology

Neck for a bottle or instrument is named after the body neck because it is the narrow part that connects two larger parts, so you hold or play the object by its 'neck'.