- [countable] the part of the body between the head and the shoulders
- He tied a scarf around his neck.
- I woke up with a stiff neck.
- Giraffes have very long necks.
- She craned (= stretched) her neck to get a better view.
- He broke his neck in the fall.
- Somebody's going to break their neck (= injure themselves) on these steps.
- The hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end.
Collocations Physical appearancePhysical appearance- A person may be described as having:
- (bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
- deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
- small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
- piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
- bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
- bushy/thick/dark/arched eyebrows
- long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
- a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
- a straight/crooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
- full/thick/thin/pouty lips
- dry/chapped/cracked lips
- flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
- soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
- white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
- a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
- a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
- a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
- a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache
- pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
- dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
- a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
- deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
- blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(British English) ginger/grey hair
- straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
- thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
- dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
- long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
- a bald/balding/shaved head
- a receding hairline
- a bald patch/spot
- a side/centre(British English) parting
- a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
- broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
- a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
- a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
- a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
- big/wide/narrow/slim hips
- a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
- thin/slender/muscular arms
- big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
- long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
- long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
- muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
- big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
- a good/slim/slender figure
- be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Extra ExamplesTopics Bodya2- I craned my neck to see what was happening at the front.
- I cricked my neck playing tennis and now I can't turn round properly.
- I had a crick in my neck from staring up at the sky so long.
- I keep the key on a string around my neck.
- The hairs on the back of my neck prickled with fear.
- The veins in his neck stood out like knotted rope.
- She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- long
- short
- slender
- …
- crane
- strain
- break
- …
- muscle
- brace
- collar
- …
- around your neck
- round your neck
- in the neck
- …
- the back of the neck
- the nape of the neck
- a crick in your neck
- …
- [countable] the part of a piece of clothing that fits around the neck
- He wore a casual shirt with an open neck.
- Her dress had three buttons at the neck.
- What neck size do you take?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- low
- open
- …
- -necked (in adjectives) having the type of neck mentioned
- a round-necked sweater
More Like This Compound adjectives for physical characteristicsCompound adjectives for physical characteristics - [countable] neck (of something) a long narrow part of something
- the neck of a bottle
- the narrow neck of land between the lake and the sea
- the neck of a guitar
- [uncountable] neck (of something) the neck of an animal, cooked and eaten
- neck of lamb
see also bottleneck, horse’s neck, redneck, roughneck
Word OriginOld English hnecca ‘back of the neck’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch nek ‘neck’ and German Nacken ‘nape’.
Idioms
See neck in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee neck in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbe up to your neck in something
- to have a lot of something to deal with
- We're up to our neck in debt.
- He's in it (= trouble) up to his neck.
brass neck
- (British English, informal) a combination of confidence and lack of respect
- I didn't think he would have the brass neck to do that.
breathe down somebody’s neck
- (informal) to watch closely what somebody is doing in a way that makes them feel anxious and/or annoyed
- I can’t get any work done with you breathing down my neck.
by a neck
- if a person or an animal wins a race by a neck, they win it by a short distance
by the scruff of the/somebody’s neck
- roughly holding the back of an animal’s or person’s neck
- She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him out.
- The cat picked up her kitten by the scruff of its neck.
get it in the neck
- (British English, informal) to be shouted at or punished because of something that you have done
a millstone around/round your neck
- a difficult problem or responsibility that it seems impossible to solve or get rid of
- My debts are a millstone around my neck.
- Unemployment was an economic millstone around the country’s neck.
neck and neck (with somebody/something)
- level with somebody in a race or competition
- The cyclists were neck and neck as they approached the final lap.
neck of the woods
- (informal) a particular place or area
- He's from your neck of the woods (= the area where you live).
- What are you doing in this neck of the woods?
a pain in the neck
(British English also a pain in the arse/backside)
(North American English also a pain in the ass/butt)
- (informal) a person or thing that is very annoying
- That man's a pain in the neck!
put/lay your head/neck on the block
- to risk losing your job, damaging your reputation, etc. by doing or saying something
- It's not a matter that I'm prepared to put my head on the block for.
risk your neck
(also risk life and limb)
- to risk being killed or injured in order to do something
- I'm not going to risk my neck playing rugby with you!
More Like This Alliteration in idiomsAlliteration in idioms- belt and braces
- black and blue
- born and bred
- chalk and cheese
- chop and change
- done and dusted
- down and dirty
- in dribs and drabs
- eat somebody out of house and home
- facts and figures
- fast and furious
- first and foremost
- forgive and forget
- hale and hearty
- hem and haw
- kith and kin
- mix and match
- part and parcel
- puff and pant
- to rack and ruin
- rant and rave
- risk life and limb
- short and sweet
- signed and sealed
- spick and span
- through thick and thin
- this and that
- top and tail
- tried and tested
- wax and wane
save somebody’s bacon/neck
- (informal) to rescue somebody from a very difficult situation
- He's out to save his own political neck.
save your (own) skin/hide/neck
- to try to avoid death, punishment, etc., especially by leaving others in an extremely difficult situation
- To save his own skin, he lied and blamed the accident on his friend.
stick your neck out
- (informal) to do or say something when there is a risk that you may be wrong
- I’ll stick my neck out and say that Bill is definitely the best candidate for the job.
wring somebody’s neck
- (informal) when you say that you will wring somebody’s neck, you mean that you are very angry or annoyed with them
- When he was late again I wanted to wring his neck.
Check pronunciation:
neck