Standard Lemma guide

wryneck

noun · 4 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.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹaɪnɛk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis, of the Old World, that turn their heads almost 180 degrees when foraging.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the muscles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: torticollis

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Old World woodpecker with a peculiar habit of twisting the neck

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: woodpecker, peckerwood, pecker

4

noun

Meaning 4

an unnatural condition in which the head leans to one side because the neck muscles on that side are contracted

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: torticollis

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abnormality, abnormalcy

History

Etymology

From wry + neck.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: ayayái — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Asturian: formigueru — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Asturian: paxarón del agua — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Bulgarian: въртошийка (vǎrtošijka) — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Catalan: colltort — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Czech: krutihlav — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Dutch: draaihals — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Finnish: käenpiika — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • French: torcol — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • German: Wendehals — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Ancient Greek: ἴϋγξ (íünx) — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Hungarian: nyaktekercs — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Italian: torcicollo — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Latin: iynx — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Latvian: tītiņš — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Lithuanian: gražiagalvė — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Norman: turbé — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Norman: ouaîsé â blié — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Polish: krętogłów — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Portuguese: torcicolo — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Romanian: capîntortură — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Russian: вертише́йка (vertišéjka) — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Northern Sami: giegabiigá — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Serbo-Croatian: krivovrat — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Serbo-Croatian: krivošija — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Spanish: torcecuello — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Swedish: göktyta — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Turkish: boyunburan — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
  • Ottoman Turkish: بویون بوران (boyun buran) — either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis