Neckings

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Acts of embracing or kissing passionately ; constrictions or narrowings in tubes or structures specifically involving a tapered or reduced section ; physical gestures involving the neck area such as wrapping or entwining in affection or support
2. Instances of close bodily contact typically involving the neck and face ; passages or points where an object or part becomes thinner or tighter resembling a narrowed section ; affectionate or intimate behavior characterized by closeness at the upper body region
3. Moments of intimate physical touch such as kissing or hugging at the neck ; structural formations where something tapers or reduces in girth resembling a narrowing ; expressions of affection or support focused around the neck and upper chest area

Etymology: "Neckings" is simply the plural of "necking," so its story is really the story of that noun and verb. The core sense is the old one: "neck" was kissing and embracing about the neck and shoulders, and it was used as a verb for that sort of affectionate clinch. The word's meaning then broadened in two directions, one physical and one clinical. In everyday speech, necking came to mean passionate kissing and caressing, while in engineering and anatomy it came to describe a narrowing or constriction in a tube or structure with a tapered, reduced section. The plural form follows the usual pattern for a noun. Its meanings fall into those same groups, so a plural can refer either to repeated embraces or to several narrowings in a structure. The third sense, gestures involving the neck such as wrapping or entwining in support, grows naturally from the physical act of holding someone close around the neck.

Synonyms: kissing, embracing, cuddling, petting, caressing

Antonyms: pushing, hitting, ignoring