The nape is the back of the neck. In technical anatomical/medical terminology, the nape is also called the nucha (from the

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...

rendering of the

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, ). The corresponding adjective is ''nuchal'', as in the term ''nuchal rigidity'' for neck stiffness. In many mammals, the nape bears a loose, non-sensitive area of skin, known as the scruff, by which a mother carries her young by her teeth, temporarily immobilizing it during transport. In the mating of

cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

, the male will grip the female's scruff with his teeth to help immobilize her during the act, a form of pinch-induced behavioral inhibition.

Cultural connotations

In traditional Japanese culture, the was one of the few areas of the body (other than face and hands) left uncovered by women's attire. The nape of a woman's neck held a strong attraction for many Japanese men (see ). In Egyptian and Lebanese culture, slapping the nape is considered a gesture of utter humiliation.

References

External links

* * Human head and neck {{anatomy-stub