rubberneck
rubberneck Lexical Profile
rubberneck Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To turn one's head or crane one's neck to stare or gawk at something in an overly curious manner (especially by motorists passing an accident).
"Traffic backed up for miles because drivers in the opposite lanes slowed down to rubberneck at the minor collision."
• noun
An overly curious person who turns their head to stare or gawk at something, such as a roadside accident or a celebrity.
"Every passing rubberneck slowed down to peer at the stalled vehicle on the shoulder."
North American A sightseer or tourist who crane-necks from a tour bus or carriage to view local landmarks.
"In the early twentieth century, open-top buses carried eager rubbernecks through the bustling downtown streets."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originated as late 19th-century American slang from the humorous image of an overly curious person having a flexible, rubber-like neck that stretches and twists in every direction to stare at something.