- neck
- {{11}}neck (n.) O.E. hnecca "neck, nape, back of the neck" (a fairly rare word) from P.Gmc. *khnekkon "the nape of the neck" (Cf. O.Fris. hnekka, M.Du. necke, Du. nek, O.N. hnakkr, O.H.G. hnach, Ger. Nacken "neck"), with no certain cognates outside Germanic, though Klein's sources suggest PIE *knok- "high point, ridge" (Cf. O.Ir. cnocc, Welsh cnwch, O.Bret. cnoch "hill").The more usual Old English words were hals (the general Germanic word, Cf. Goth., O.N., Dan., Swed., Du., Ger. hals), cognate with L. collum (see COLLAR (Cf. collar)); and swira, probably also from a PIE root meaning "column" (Cf. Skt. svaru- "post").Transferred senses attested from c.1400. Phrase neck of the woods (American English) is attested from 1780 in the sense of "narrow stretch of woods;" 1839 with meaning "settlement in a wooded region." To stick one's neck out "take a risk" is first recorded 1919, American English. Horses running neck and neck is attested from 1799.{{12}}neck (v.) "to kiss, embrace, caress," 1825 (implied in necking) in northern England dialect, from NECK (Cf. neck) (n.). Cf. Middle English halsen "to embrace or caress affectionately, to fondle sexually," from hals (n.) "neck." Earlier, neck as a verb meant "to kill by a strike on the neck" (mid-15c.). Related: Necked.
Etymology dictionary. 2014.