Standard Lemma guide

necklace

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈnɛkləs/
  • UK: /ˈnɛklɪs/
  • UK: /ˈnɛkləs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈnɛkləs/
  • Australian: /ˈnɛklæɪs/
  • rhymes with -ɛkləs
  • rhymes with (UK) -ɛklɪs
  • rhymes with (Australian, South Asia) -ɛkleɪs
  • CMU ARPABET: N EH1 K L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An article of jewelry that is worn around the neck, most often made of a string of precious metal, pearls, gems, beads or shells, and sometimes having a pendant attached.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: jewelry, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Anything resembling a necklace in shape.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • a necklace of coral islands

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A device used in necklacing (an informal execution); a rubber tyre that is filled with petrol. It is placed around the victim's chest and arms, and set on fire.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: South-Africa

Examples

  • Necklacing on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To informally execute by necklacing; by setting on fire a petrol-filled rubber tyre which has been put around the bound victim's neck.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: South-Africa

Examples

  • 2002 Buthelezi: A Biography by Ben Temkin Inkatha members have been hacked to death and necklaced, and their houses have been destroyed
  • 2000 Beyond Our Wildest Dreams: The United Democratic Front and the Transformation of South Africa by Ineke Van Kessel The first instance of necklacing occurred in March 1985 in the Eastern Cape township of KwaNobuhle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

jewelry consisting of a cord or chain (often bearing gems) worn about the neck as an ornament (especially by women)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: jewelry, jewellery

Narrower terms: chain, string, strand, choker, collar, dog collar, neckband

History

Etymology

From neck + lace.

Across languages

Translations

240 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: halssnoer — jewelry
  • Dupaningan Agta: ulay — jewelry
  • Ainu: チムッペ (cimutpe) — jewelry
  • Albanian: varëse — jewelry
  • Albanian: varq — jewelry
  • Southern Altai: мончок (mončok) — jewelry
  • Southern Altai: алка (alka) — jewelry
  • Amharic: ሐብል (ḥäbl) — jewelry
  • Amharic: ድሪ (dəri) — jewelry
  • Arabic: قِلَادَة (qilāda) — jewelry
  • Arabic: عقد (ʕuʔd) — jewelry
  • Arabic: سِلْسال (silsāl) — jewelry
  • Arabic: عُقْد (ʕugd) — jewelry
  • Arabic: سنسلة (sansla) — jewelry
  • Arabic: قلادة (qlāda) — jewelry
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܬܵܘܩܵܐ (tāwqā) — jewelry
  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܗܲܡܢܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ (hamnīḵā) — jewelry
  • Aramaic: ܗܡܢܝܟܐ (hamnīḵāʾ, hemnīḵāʾ) — jewelry
  • Aramaic: ܥܩܐ (ˁeqqā) — jewelry
  • Armenian: մանյակ (manyak) — jewelry
  • Assamese: হাৰ (har) — jewelry
  • Asturian: collar — jewelry
  • Avar: махал (maxal) — jewelry
  • Aymara: wallqa — jewelry
  • Azerbaijani: boyunbağı — jewelry
  • Banjarese: kakalung — jewelry
  • Bashkir: мунсаҡ (munsaq) — jewelry
  • Basque: lepoko — jewelry
  • Basque: iduneko — jewelry
  • Belarusian: кара́лі (karáli) — jewelry
  • Belarusian: калье́ (kalʹjé) — jewelry
  • Belarusian: мані́ста (manísta) — jewelry
  • Bengali: হার (har) — jewelry
  • Bengali: মালা (mala) — jewelry
  • Central Bikol: kulintas — jewelry
  • Bobongko: oloʼ — jewelry
  • Breton: tro-c'houzoug — jewelry
  • Bulgarian: огъ́рлица (ogǎ́rlica) — jewelry
  • Bulgarian: колие́ (kolié) — jewelry
  • Bulgarian: герда́н (gerdán) — jewelry
  • Burmese: ဒါလီ (dali) — jewelry
  • Burmese: ဘယက် (bha.yak) — jewelry
  • Burmese: လည်ဆွဲ (lanyhcwai:) — jewelry
  • Catalan: collar — jewelry
  • Catalan: collaret — jewelry
  • Cebuano: kuwintas — jewelry
  • Central Atlas Tamazight: ⵜⴰⵣⵔⴰⵔⵜ (tazrart) — jewelry
  • Cherokee: ᎠᏯᏟᏗ (ayatlidi) — jewelry
  • Chickasaw: innoʼchiʼ — jewelry
  • Chinese Cantonese: 項鏈 /项链 — jewelry
  • Chinese: 項鏈 /项链 (hǎng-liān) — jewelry
  • Chinese Mandarin: 項鏈 /项链 (xiàngliàn) — jewelry
  • West Circassian: джэгъучэлъ (džɛğwučɛls) — jewelry
  • Ngazidja Comorian: nkami — jewelry
  • Cornish: delk — jewelry
  • Crimean Tatar: gerdanlıq — jewelry
  • Czech: náhrdelník — jewelry
  • Dakota: wanápʾį — jewelry
  • Danish: halskæde — jewelry
  • Dutch: halssnoer — jewelry
  • Dutch: halsketting — jewelry
  • Dutch: ketting — jewelry
  • Esperanto: kolĉeno — jewelry
  • Estonian: kaelakee — jewelry
  • Estonian: kee — jewelry
  • Faroese: hálsketa — jewelry
  • Fijian: itaube — jewelry
  • Finnish: kaulakoru — jewelry
  • Finnish: kaulanauha — jewelry
  • Finnish: kaulaketju — jewelry
  • French: collier — jewelry
  • Galician: colar — jewelry
  • Georgian: ყელსაბამი (q̇elsabami) — jewelry
  • Georgian: ყელსაკიდი (q̇elsaḳidi) — jewelry
  • German: Halskette — jewelry
  • German: Collier — jewelry
  • German: Halsband — jewelry
  • Greek: κολιέ (kolié) — jewelry
  • Greek: περιδέραιο (peridéraio) — jewelry
  • Ancient Greek: δέραιον (déraion) — jewelry
  • Ancient Greek: ὅρμος (hórmos) — jewelry
  • Greenlandic: ujamik — jewelry
  • Gujarati: કંઠી (kaṇṭhī) — jewelry
  • Hebrew: עֲנָק (anák) — jewelry
  • Hebrew: שרשרת (sharshéret) — jewelry
  • Hindi: हार (hār) — jewelry
  • Hindi: हँसली (hãslī) — jewelry
  • White Hmong: txog saw — jewelry
  • Hungarian: nyaklánc — jewelry
  • Hungarian: nyakék — jewelry
  • Icelandic: hálsfesti — jewelry
  • Icelandic: hálsmen — jewelry
  • Ilocano: gargantília — jewelry
  • Indonesian: kalung — jewelry
  • Ingrian: virka — jewelry
  • Inuktitut: nuġluġun — jewelry
  • Irish: muince — jewelry
  • Irish: bráisléad brád — jewelry
  • Italian: collana — jewelry
  • Italian: girocollo — jewelry
  • Japanese: ネックレス (nekkuresu) — jewelry
  • Japanese: 首飾り (kubikazari) — jewelry
  • Jarai: añŭ — jewelry
  • Javanese: kalung — jewelry
  • Old Javanese: kaluṅ — jewelry
  • Kannada: ಪಟ್ಟಡೆ (paṭṭaḍe) — jewelry
  • Kansa: wanánp'in — jewelry
  • Karachay-Balkar: мынчакъла (mınçaqla) — jewelry
  • Karakalpak: dizbek — jewelry
  • Kazakh: алқа (alqa) — jewelry
  • Khmer: ខ្សែក (khsae kɑɑ) — jewelry
  • Kikuyu: mũgathĩ — jewelry
  • Korean: 목걸이 (mokgeori) — jewelry
  • Kumyk: гьамарча (hamarça) — jewelry
  • Kumyk: минчакълар (minçaqlar) — jewelry
  • Central Kurdish: ملوانکە (milwanke) — jewelry
  • Northern Kurdish: gerdenî — jewelry
  • Kyrgyz: шуру (şuru) — jewelry
  • Kyrgyz: мончок (moncok) — jewelry
  • Lakota: wanápʼiŋ — jewelry
  • Lao: ສາຍຄໍ (sāi khǭ) — jewelry
  • Lao: ປອກຄໍ (pǭk khǭ) — jewelry
  • Lao: ສ້ອຍ (sǭi) — jewelry
  • Latin: monīle — jewelry
  • Latvian: kaklarota — jewelry
  • Lithuanian: vėrinys — jewelry
  • Lun Bawang: baney — jewelry
  • Luxembourgish: Collier — jewelry
  • Luxembourgish: Halsband — jewelry
  • Luxembourgish: Ketten — jewelry
  • Macedonian: ѓе́рдан (ǵérdan) — jewelry
  • Maguindanao: balig — jewelry
  • Malagasy: vadim-bozo — jewelry
  • Malay: rantai — jewelry
  • Malay: kalung — jewelry
  • Malayalam: കണ്ഠമാല (kaṇṭhamāla) — jewelry
  • Maltese: ġiżirana — jewelry
  • Maltese: kullana — jewelry
  • Maltese: ħannieqa — jewelry
  • Māori: tāhei — jewelry
  • Marathi: हार (hār) — jewelry
  • Marwari: ठुसी (ṭhusī) — jewelry
  • Mongolian: хүзүүний зүүлт (xüzüünii züült) — jewelry
  • Khiamniungan Naga: làk — jewelry
  • Nahuatl: cozcatl — jewelry
  • Navajo: yooʼ — jewelry
  • Nogai: мойшак (moyşak) — jewelry
  • Norman: colyi — jewelry
  • Norwegian Bokmål: halsbånd — jewelry
  • Norwegian Bokmål: halskjede — jewelry
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: halskjede — jewelry
  • Nǀuu: ǀx’âinsi — jewelry
  • Occitan: colar — jewelry
  • Odia: ମାଳା (māḷā) — jewelry
  • Ojibwe: naabikaagan — jewelry
  • Church Slavic: монисто (monisto) — jewelry
  • Old English: mene — jewelry
  • Omaha-Ponca: wanónp'in — jewelry
  • Oneida: ostaló꞉kwaʼ — jewelry
  • Oneida: yunihtyáktaʼ — jewelry
  • Oneida: yutestaloʼkwanyáktaʼ — jewelry
  • Pali: gīveyyaka — jewelry
  • Pashto: همېل (hamel) — jewelry
  • Persian: گردن بند — jewelry
  • Persian: هار (hâr) — jewelry
  • Pirahã: xáihoi — jewelry
  • Polish: naszyjnik — jewelry
  • Portuguese: colar — jewelry
  • Punjabi: ਹਾਰ (hār) — jewelry
  • Quechua: walqa — jewelry
  • Rapa Nui: karone — jewelry
  • Romanian: colan — jewelry
  • Romanian: colier — jewelry
  • Romanian: salbă — jewelry
  • Russian: ожере́лье (ožerélʹje) — jewelry
  • Russian: колье́ (kolʹjé) — jewelry
  • Russian: мони́сто (monísto) — jewelry
  • Saek: ส่อย — jewelry
  • Sanskrit: कण्ठभूषा (kaṇṭhabhūṣā) — jewelry
  • Scottish Gaelic: seud-muineil — jewelry
  • Koyraboro-Senni: jindehiiri — jewelry
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀грлица — jewelry
  • Serbo-Croatian: ђѐрда̄н — jewelry
  • Serbo-Croatian: ògrlica — jewelry
  • Serbo-Croatian: đèrdān — jewelry
  • Shipibo-Conibo: téo — jewelry
  • Sicilian: cuddana — jewelry
  • Sicilian: cullana — jewelry
  • Sinhalese: මාලය (mālaya) — jewelry
  • Slovak: náhrdelník — jewelry
  • Slovene: verížica — jewelry
  • Slovene: ogŕlica — jewelry
  • Spanish: collar — jewelry
  • Sundanese: kangkalung — jewelry
  • Swahili: kidani — jewelry
  • Swedish: halsband — jewelry
  • Tagalog: binaysok — jewelry
  • Tagalog: kuwintas — jewelry
  • Tajik: гарданбанд (gardanband) — jewelry
  • Tamil: அட்டிகை (aṭṭikai) — jewelry
  • Tatar: колйә (qölyä) — jewelry
  • Tatar: муенча (muyınça) — jewelry
  • Telugu: చంద్రహారం (candrahāraṁ) — jewelry
  • Telugu: కంఠిక (kaṇṭhika) — jewelry
  • Telugu: హారము (hāramu) — jewelry
  • Thai: สร้อย (sɔ̂i) — jewelry
  • Tibetan: སྐེ་རྒྱན (ske rgyan) — jewelry
  • Tongan: kahoa — jewelry
  • Tswana: sebaga — jewelry
  • Turkish: gerdanlık — jewelry
  • Turkish: kolye — jewelry
  • Ottoman Turkish: قلاده (kılade) — jewelry
  • Turkmen: monjuk — jewelry
  • Ukrainian: нами́сто (namýsto) — jewelry
  • Ukrainian: мони́сто (monýsto) — jewelry
  • Ukrainian: наши́йник (našýjnyk) — jewelry
  • Ukrainian: кольє́ (kolʹjé) — jewelry
  • Unami: ehùkwenk — jewelry
  • Urdu: ہار (hār) — jewelry
  • Urdu: مالا (mālā) — jewelry
  • Uzbek: marjon — jewelry
  • Uzbek: shoda — jewelry
  • Vietnamese: chuỗi hạt — jewelry
  • Vilamovian: puttynystyn — jewelry
  • Welsh: gwddfdorch — jewelry
  • Welsh: mwclis — jewelry
  • Welsh: neclis — jewelry
  • Yámana: polesif — jewelry
  • Ye'kwana: wo'mo — jewelry
  • Yiddish: האַלדזבאַנד (haldzband) — jewelry
  • Yurok: ˀekeˀr — jewelry
  • Zulu: umgexo — jewelry
  • Dutch: halssnoer-achtig — figurative: anything resembling a necklace in shape
  • Finnish: helminauha — figurative: anything resembling a necklace in shape
  • Russian: ожере́лье (ožerélʹje) — figurative: anything resembling a necklace in shape
  • Swedish: pärlband — figurative: anything resembling a necklace in shape
  • Afrikaans: halssnoermoord — method of execution
  • Dutch: executie bij brandende rubberband — method of execution
  • French: supplice du pneu — method of execution
  • Portuguese: microondas — method of execution
Real reading context

necklace in complete knowledge articles