wryneck

W4R1Y4N1E1C3K5
US, UK/ˈɹaɪnɛk/

noun

Either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis, of the Old World, that turn their heads almost 180 degrees when foraging.

Similar
torticollismackerel bird
Scrabble 19
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounwryneck (plural wrynecks)

plural wrynecks

  1. Either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis, of the Old World, that turn their heads almost 180 degrees when foraging.
  2. datedmedicineA twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the muscles.

    Synonyms: torticollis

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the muscles.

Similar
torticollis
Similar
mackerel bird
Narrower
Eurasian wryneckred-throated wryneck

More synonyms by meaning

nounan unnatural condition in which the head leans to one side because the neck muscles on that side are contracted

Similar
torticollis
Broader
abnormalityabnormalcy
Also see
torticollis

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From wry + neck.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἴϋγξ
  • ἴϋγξ (íünx)either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Bulgarian въртошийка
  • въртошийка (vărtošijka)either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Catalan colltort
  • colltorteither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Czech krutihlav
  • krutihlaveither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Dutch draaihals
  • draaihalseither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Finnish käenpiika
  • käenpiikaeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
French torcol
  • torcoleither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
German Wendehals
  • Wendehalseither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Hungarian nyaktekercs
  • nyaktekercseither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Italian torcicollo
  • torcicolloeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Latin iynx
  • iynxeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Latvian tītiņš
  • tītiņšeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Lithuanian gražiagalvė
  • gražiagalvėeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Polish krętogłów
  • krętogłóweither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Portuguese torcicolo
  • torcicoloeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Romanian capîntortură
  • capîntorturăeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Russian вертише́йка
  • вертише́йка (vertišéjka)either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Spanish torcecuello
  • torcecuelloeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Swedish göktyta
  • göktytaeither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Turkish boyunburan
  • boyunburaneither of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis
Cite this entry
APA

wryneck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wryneck

MLA

“wryneck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wryneck. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wryneck,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wryneck.

Source: wryneck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.