Nearby Words

necking

[nek-ing] Origin

neck·ing

[nek-ing]
noun
1.
Informal. the act of embracing, kissing, and caressing amorously; petting.
2.
Architecture.
a.
a molding or group of moldings between the projecting part of a capital of a column and the shaft.

Origin:
1795–1805; neck + -ing1

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Necking is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

neck

[nek]
noun
1.
the part of the body of an animal or human being that connects the head and the trunk.
2.
the part of a garment encircling, partly covering, or closest to the neck; neckline.
3.
the length of the neck of a horse or other animal as a measure in racing.
4.
the slender part near the top of a bottle, vase, or similar object.
5.
any narrow, connecting, or projecting part suggesting the neck of an animal.
EXPAND
6.
a narrow strip of land, as an isthmus or a cape.
7.
a strait.
8.
the longer and more slender part of a violin or similar stringed instrument, extending from the body to the head.
9.
Building Trades, Machinery. the part on a shank of a bolt next to the head, especially when it has a special form.
10.
Anatomy. a narrowed part of a bone, organ, or the like.
11.
Dentistry. the slightly narrowed region of a tooth between the crown and the root.
12.
Printing. beard (def. 5).
13.
Architecture. a cylindrical continuation of the shaft of a column above the lower astragal of the capital, as in the Roman Doric and Tuscan orders.
14.
Also called volcanic neck. Geology. the solidified lava or igneous rock filling a conduit leading either to a vent of an extinct volcano or to a laccolith.
COLLAPSE
verb (used without object)
15.
Informal. (of two persons) to embrace, kiss, and caress one another amorously.
verb (used with object)
16.
Informal. to embrace, kiss, and caress (someone) amorously.
17.
to strangle or behead.
18.
be up to one's neck, Informal. to have a surfeit; be overburdened: Right now she's up to her neck in work.
19.
break one's neck, Informal. to make a great effort: We broke our necks to get there on time.
20.
get it in the neck, Slang.
a.
to suffer punishment or loss: The trend is to consolidation and small businesses are getting it in the neck.
b.
to be rejected or dismissed: The employees got it in the neck when the company moved overseas.
c.
to be sharply reprimanded or scolded.
21.
neck and neck, even or very close; indeterminate as to the outcome: They were coming toward the finish line neck and neck.
22.
neck of the woods, Informal. neighborhood, area, or vicinity: Next time you're in this neck of the woods, drop in.
EXPAND
23.
stick one's neck out, Informal. to expose oneself to danger, disaster, failure, disgrace, etc.; take a risk: He stuck his neck out by supporting an unpopular candidate.
24.
win by a neck,
a.
to win by a small amount or narrow margin.
b.
Racing. to be first by a head and neck; finish closely.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 900; Middle English nekke, Old English hnecca, cognate with Dutch nek nape of neck; akin to German Nacken, Old Norse hnakki nape of neck

neck·er, noun
neck·less, adjective
neck·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
necking (ˈnɛkɪŋ)
 
n
1.  informal the activity of kissing and embracing passionately
2.  architect Also called: gorgerin one or more mouldings at the top of a column between the shaft and the capital

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

neck
O.E. hnecca "neck, back of the neck" (a fairly rare word) from P.Gmc. *khnekkon "the nape of the neck" (cf. O.Fris. hnekka, M.Du. necke, O.N. hnakkr, O.H.G. hnach, Ger. Nacken "neck"), with no certain cognates outside Gmc., though some suggest PIE *knok- "high point, ridge" (cf. O.Ir. cnocc, Welsh cnwch,
EXPAND
O.Bret. cnoch "hill"). The more usual O.E. words were hals (the general Gmc. word, cf. Goth., O.N., Dan., Swed., Du., Ger. hals), cognate with L. collum (see collar); and swira, probably also from a PIE root meaning "column" (cf. Skt. svaru- "post"). The verb meaning "to kiss, embrace, caress" is first recorded 1825 (implied in necking) in northern England dial., from the noun. Neckerchief is 1382, from kerchief (q.v.). Phrase neck of the woods (Amer.Eng.) is attested from 1780 in the sense of "narrow stretch of woods;" 1839 with meaning "settlement in a wooded region." Neckline of a garment is from 1904. To stick one's neck out "take a risk" is first recorded 1926, Amer.Eng. Horses running neck and neck is attested from 1799.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

neck (něk)
n.

  1. The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders or trunk.

  2. A narrow or constricted part of a structure, as of a bone or an organ, that joins its parts; a cervix.

  3. The part of a tooth between the crown and the root.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary

neck definition


  1. in.
    to cuddle and kiss. (Always in reference to lovers or boy-girl relationships.) : There are some teenagers in the back room, necking.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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