Also swan’s neck. [Cf. G. schwanenhals, Sw. svanhals; in MHG. swanhals = narrow sickle.]

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  1.  A neck like that of a swan; a long slender (white) neck.

2

  Quots. 1823 and 1867 refer to the cognomen Swanneshals (see HALSE sb.) = ‘swan’s neck’ of a certain Eadgyth (Edith), a mistress of Harold, king of the English (De Inv. Sanctæ Crucis Walthamensis, xxi., 12th c.).

3

[1823.  Lingard, Hist. Eng. (1855), I. vi. 190, note 3. They sent for Harold’s mistress, Editha, surnamed ‘The Fair,’ and the ‘Swan’s Neck.’]

4

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. I. i. The fair swan-bevies of Citoyennes that have alighted in Churches, and sit there with swan-neck.

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1867.  Freeman, Norm. Conq., III. v. § 5. 514. Eadgyth of the Swan’s Neck.

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  2.  Name for various structural parts or contrivances having a curved cylindrical form like a swan’s neck.

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1686.  Plot, Staffordsh., 376. The Head … that makes the body of the Spurr … with swan-necks.

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1823.  P. Nicholson, Pract. Builder, 201. A Swan-neck, in dog-legged and open-newelled stair-cases, is a portion of the rail, consisting of two parts, the lower being concave and the upper convex.

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  3.  = swan-plant (a): see SWAN sb. 4 b.

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1866.  Treas. Bot., Swan-neck, or Swanwort, Cycnoches.

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  4.  attrib. Of a curved form like a swan’s neck.

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1844.  H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, II. 208. The steam-pipe … takes a swan-neck bend downwards to within 12 inches of the floor. Ibid., 680. The tines are always in this machine made of the swan-neck or self-cleaning form.

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1884.  Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl., Swan-neck Needle Forceps (Surgical), an instrument for use through curved passages difficult to reach.

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1891.  Kipling, Light that Failed, xiv. 305. A pair of swan-neck spurs.

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