The part of the body that connects the head to the shoulders and chest. It also can mean a narrow part of something, like the neck of a bottle.
From Old English 'hnecca', related to Old High German 'hnacki' meaning 'nape of the neck'. It is an old Germanic word that has kept a similar form for centuries.
We use 'neck' in many expressions like 'stick your neck out' (take a risk) or 'neck of the woods' (local area). The idea of a narrow connection point helps explain why we call thin parts of objects 'necks' too.
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