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Glite Dictionary
neck bone

neck bone

3 3.7
A small bone in the neck that helps protect the spine
  • noun
  • /nɛk boʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hueso cervical
  • Giraffes have long neck bones, which allow them to reach high branches for feeding.
  • neck bone connects

I mean like the thigh bones connected to the neck bone, you know, you're like what?

Examples

  • I mean like the thigh bones connected to the neck bone, you know, you're like what?

    Theo Von

  • Small sums from many were pooled to pay rent, to buy rice and neck bones for adobo, and to acquire the latest want-ads.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Tired of the old head bone connected to the neck bone song?

    Blog text (18)

  • People's legs and neck bones were sticking out.

    Gummo (1997)

  • The barbarian brought the creature down hard, squeezed and twisted, and heard the satisfying crack of neck bone.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The neck bones of humans consist of seven distinct vertebrae that support the head.

  • Doctors often take X-rays to check for injuries to the neck bones after a car accident.

Synonyms

vertebra
vsneck bone
  • Specialized
15 5.8

A small bone in the spine with a hole for the spinal cord

is limited to bones in the neck region rather than the whole backbone
cervical vertebra
vsneck bone
  • Specialized
5 6.5

One of the seven bones in the neck of the spine

is the same scientific expression for the same type of bone
atlas vertebra
vsneck bone
  • Specialized
6.8

The top bone in the neck that supports the skull and lets the head nod

is the general term for those bones, not limited to the top one
atlas
vsneck bone
  • Specialized
8.4

A bone at the top of the spine that supports the skull

is the general term for those bones rather than the specific top bone
axis vertebra
vsneck bone
  • Specialized
8.4

The second bone in the neck that lets the head turn from side to side

is the general term for those bones, not specifically the pivot bone

Surface Forms

neck bone singular
neck bones plural

Morphology

neck + bone

The meaning 'a vertebra in the neck' is directly and predictably composed from 'neck' (the body segment) + 'bone' (skeletal tissue). This simple noun-noun composition follows common compounding patterns in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The compound neck bone is named for the place and the part: neck for the body area and bone for the hard part that holds and supports the head, so it means 'one of the small bones in the neck'.