neck
noun /nek/
/nek/
Idioms 
enlarge image[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/raised/arched eyebrows
- long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
- a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
- a straight/a hooked/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/a slim/a slender/an hourglass 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
enlarge image- He wore a casual shirt with an open neck.
- Her dress had three buttons at the neck undone.
- 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- -beaked
- -bellied
- -billed
- -blooded
- -bodied
- -cheeked
- -chested
- -eared
- -eyed
- -faced
- -fingered
- -footed
- -haired
- -handed
- -headed
- -hearted
- -hipped
- -lidded
- -limbed
- -mouthed
- -necked
- -nosed
- -skinned
- -tailed
- -throated
- -toothed
- [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
be 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 she 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
- spic 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.