Collar

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒl.ə/

Definitions

1. A band of fabric or material worn around the neck, often as part of a shirt or dress, or used to control pets
2. A circular piece of fabric or material that encircles the neck area of clothing, serves as an element of fashion, or provides a control mechanism for animals
3. A section of a garment designed to fit around the neck, which can enhance style, provide support, or restrain pets when attached to a leash

Etymology: The neck band of a shirt has a plain Latin ancestor: "collum," meaning neck. Latin made the adjective "collaris," "of the neck," and Late Latin turned it into "collare," a thing worn around the neck. Old French took this as "coler," which Middle English borrowed as "coler," and the modern English spelling settled in later. The word has a close relative in Old French "collier," still used today for a necklace. English also received "collet," a doublet from the same root, which kept a sense of a small ring or band. Both trace back to the body part they name. The English word for the neck itself took a different route. Its Germanic counterpart survives in Gothic "hals" and Old English "heals," both meaning neck, so the same body part has two separate lines of descent in English: one Germanic and one Latin.

Synonyms: neckband, choker, band