See Also: necklace(medicine)
necklace(dictionary)
necklace(dictionary)
Casal's necklace(medicine)
necklace of Venus(medicine)
pearl necklace gallbladder(medicine)
Affair of the Diamond Necklace(encyclopedia)

necklace (iou)



necklace noun & verb. L16.
[from NECK noun1 + LACE noun.]
A. noun.
An ornamental chain or string of precious stones, precious metal, beads, links, etc., worn round the neck. L16.
R. K. Narayan She removed..her necklace, gold bangles and rings.
b. A lace or ribbon for the neck; a necktie. M17-M18.
A noose, a halter. arch. rare. E17.
Nautical. A chain or strop round a mast. Also, a ring of wads placed round a gun. M19.
A tyre soaked or filled with petrol, placed around a victim's neck and shoulders and set alight; the form of lynching or unofficial execution using this. S. Afr. L20.
attrib.: Independent The necklace killings, horrific brutalities in the townships.
Comb.: necklace poplar [from its long interrupted catkins] the cottonwood Populus deltoides; necklace shell a burrowing carnivorous gastropod mollusc of the genus Natica, which drills into the shells of bivalves; necklace-tree any of several mainly W. Indian leguminous trees of the genus Ormosia, with bright red seeds used as beads.
b. verb.
verb trans. & intrans. Form into a necklace. L16.
verb trans. Encircle or surround (as) with a necklace. M18.
T. Morrison Lines of cars necklaced the entrance.
b. Kill (a person) by means of the necklace (sense A.4 above). Chiefly as necklaced ppl adjective, necklacing verbal noun. S. Afr. L20.