Necks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The anatomical structures connecting the head to the body serve as vital supports for balance and mobility while also housing critical systems for breathing and circulation
2. Regions of the body that link the head to the shoulders are essential for movement and posture, providing support and housing various vital organs and systems
3. The parts of the body that connect the head to the trunk, allowing flexibility and supporting essential nerves and blood vessels

Etymology: The plural "necks" is simply the plural of "neck", so the story belongs to the singular. Old English had "hnecca", meaning "neck" or "nape", and it traces back through Proto-Germanic "hnakkô" to a Proto-Indo-European root that meant the back of the head or the nape. In other words, the earliest sense was closer to the back of the skull than to the throat, and the modern meaning of the joining part between head and body grew out of that. The word did not always have the field to itself. Old English also had "halse", meaning neck or throat, and "swire", meaning neck, and "neck" eventually pushed both of them out of common use. Cognates are found across the Germanic languages, including Dutch "nek", German "Nacken", and Swedish "nacke", which shows how old and widespread the root is.

Synonyms: throats, cervixes, napes, collars, scrags