wryneck
wryneck Lexical Profile
wryneck Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A medical condition in which the neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing the head to twist or turn to one side; medically known as torticollis.
"After sleeping in an awkward position on the cramped flight, he woke up suffering from a painful case of wryneck."
A small, brown-plumaged bird of the woodpecker family (genus Jynx), native to Eurasia and Africa, known for its habit of twisting its head and neck in a snake-like manner when threatened.
"The birdwatcher was thrilled to spot a Eurasian wryneck perfectly camouflaged against the bark of the old oak tree."
Word Origin & Etymology
From the adjective 'wry' (twisted or contorted) + 'neck'. First recorded in the 1520s in reference to the bird's characteristic head movements, and later applied to the medical condition torticollis.