I. ˈnek noun
Etymology: Middle English nekke, from Old English hnecca; akin to Old High German hnac nape
Date: before 12th century
1.
a.
(1) : the part of an animal that connects the head with the body
(2) : the siphon of a bivalve mollusk (as a clam)
b. : the part of a garment that covers or is next to the neck
2. : a relatively narrow part suggestive of a neck: as
a.
(1) : the constricted end of a bottle
(2) : the slender proximal end of a fruit
b. : cervix 2
c. : the part of a stringed musical instrument extending from the body and supporting the fingerboard and strings
d. : a narrow stretch of land
e. : strait 1b
f. : the part of a tooth between the crown and the root — see tooth illustration
g. : a column of solidified magma of a volcanic pipe or laccolith
3. : a narrow margin
won by a neck
4. : region , part
my neck of the woods
II. verb
Date: 1842
transitive verb
1. : to kiss and caress amorously
2. : to reduce in diameter
intransitive verb
1. : to engage in amorous kissing and caressing
2. : to become constricted : narrow