The architectural band or ring around a column just below the capital; also slang for kissing and caressing.
From 'neck,' which comes from Old English 'hnecca.' In architecture, it refers to the narrow part connecting the shaft to the capital. The romantic meaning emerged as slang in the early 20th century.
In old architectural books, 'necking' is a super important design detail that makes columns look elegant, but teenagers made it famous as slang in the 1950s—same word, completely different meanings!
Mid-20th-century slang for intimate contact; when applied to women, necking carried moral judgment about chastity; the same behavior in men was normalized or celebrated.
Use in geological context (necking = narrowing of rock formation) or apply 'necking/petting' terminology equally without gendered moral framing.
["geological narrowing","intimate contact (neutral term)"]
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