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rubberneck

rub·ber·neck

US/ˈɹʌbɚˌnɛk/ uncommon obsolete us
noun (2) verb (1)

noun

1.
2.

a person who stares inquisitively

verb

1.

strain to watch; stare curiously

  • “The cars slowed down and the drivers rubbernecked after the accident”

Origin

From rubber + neck. Coined in the sense of "tourist" in the United States in the late 19th century. A favored Americanism of H.L. Mencken.

Phrases

  • rubberneck bus

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.