neck / nek/ • n. 1. the part of a person's or animal's body connecting the head to the rest of the body: she is wearing a silk scarf around her neck | [as adj.] the neck muscles. ∎  the part of a shirt, dress, or other garment that is around or close to the neck: her dress had three buttons at the neck undone | a polo neck. ∎  meat from an animal's neck: neck of lamb made an excellent stew. ∎ fig. a person's neck regarded as bearing a burden of responsibility or guilt for something: he'll be stuck with a loan around his neck. 2. a narrow part of something, resembling a neck in shape or position: ∎  the part of a bottle or other container near the mouth. ∎  a narrow piece of terrain or sea, such as an isthmus, channel, or pass. ∎  Anat. a narrow part near one end of an organ such as the uterus. ∎  the part of a violin, guitar, or other similar instrument that bears the fingerboard. ∎  Archit. another term for necking. ∎  (often volcanic neck) Geol. a column of solidified lava or igneous rock formed in a volcanic vent, esp. when exposed by erosion. ∎  Bot. a narrow supporting part in a plant, esp. the terminal part of the fruiting body in a fern, bryophyte, or fungus. 3. the length of a horse's head and neck as a measure of its lead in a race: the colt won the 122nd running of the Midsummer Derby by a neck. • v. 1. [intr.] inf. (of two people) kiss and caress amorously: we started necking on the sofa. 2. [intr.] form a narrowed part at a particular point when subjected to tension: the nylon filament necks down to a fraction of its original diameter. PHRASES: break one's neck 1. dislocate or seriously damage a vertebra or the spinal cord in one's neck. 2. (break one's neck to do something) inf. exert oneself to the utmost to achieve something. get (or catch) it in the neck inf. be severely criticized or punished. neck and neck even in a race, competition, or comparison: we have six contestants who are neck and neck. neck of the woods inf. a particular area or locality: imagine seeing her in this neck of the woods. save someone's necksee save¹ . up to one's neck in inf. heavily burdened by or busily involved in: they were up to their necks in debt | I'm up to my neck in rearranging the tournament.DERIVATIVES: necked adj. [in comb.] an open-necked shirt. neck·er n. neck·less adj.