French word

nuque

Pronunciation

IPA/nyk/

Meaning

  • feminine nounback of the neck

Example

J'ai mal à la nuque.

The back of my neck hurts.

Illustration for nuque (back of the neck)

More examples

Je me masse la nuque quand je suis tendu.

I massage my nape when I am tense.

Core concept

The rear neck area between the base of the skull and the top of the back.

Common phrases

  • se masser la nuque

    massage one's nape

  • massage de la nuque

    nape massage

Similar words

cou: The part of the body that connects the head to the torso.
arrière de la tête: The entire rear part of the head.
épaule: The upper body area connecting an arm to the torso.

Definition in French

Partie arrière du cou, située entre la base du crâne et le haut du dos.

Word origin

The French noun nuque descends through Old French from the Late Latin forms nucha and nuca.

Usage tips

  • Nuque names only the back of the neck, whereas cou can refer to the neck as a whole.

Word lists with this word