turtlenecked
|tur-tle-necked|
🇺🇸
/ˈtɝːt(ə)lˌnɛk/
🇬🇧
/ˈtɜːt(ə)lˌnɛk/
(turtleneck)
high, close-fitting collar
Etymology
'turtleneck' originates from English, formed from the compound 'turtle' + 'neck' where 'turtle' historically referred (via Middle English/French) to 'turtledove' or a rounded/curled idea used figuratively for the neck shape.
'turtleneck' appeared in written English as 'turtle-neck' in the late 19th to early 20th century to name a high, close-fitting collar; over time the hyphen was dropped and the modern form 'turtleneck' became standard.
Initially the element 'turtle' referred by association to a rounded/short-necked idea; the compound came to mean specifically 'a high, close-fitting collar' and then the garment with that collar.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'turtleneck'. (i.e., to put a turtleneck on someone or to give a garment a turtleneck collar)
They turtlenecked the mannequins before the window display opened.
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Adjective 1
having or wearing a turtleneck (a high, close-fitting collar) or fitted with such a collar.
The model stood turtlenecked in a slim black sweater.
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Last updated: 2025/09/29 01:26