A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1644-1688
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(Nek-,) Neck-break, n. [Cf. e.m.E. (1631) and mod. north. Eng. dial. neck-break(e adv., in a break-neck or headlong manner, also in mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dial. as adj., headlong, precipitous, and e.m.E. breakneck adj. (1562) headlong, precipitous, and n. (1563) a long or severe fall, downfall.] The breaking of one's neck or something which is apt to cause one to stumble and break one's neck. Only fig.: a. One's downfall, overthrow, ruin, or a cause of this. b. A stumblingblock. — a1658 Durham Commandments (1675) 206.
The sin of pride is … the neck-break of all that seek after righteousness otherwayes then by faith ?1661-5 M. Bruce Soul-Confirmation in c1679 Kirkton Hist. (1817) 274.
Beware of Scripture, for you may be your own neck-break 1664 Pitcairn Spiritual Sacrifice 677.
A stone lying in thy way may occasion thy neck-break 1664 Ib. 701.
Which proveth a neck-break to carnal hearts ?1644 W. Guthrie Serm. 14 (Jam.).
Folks poring over much on the tentation is their neck-break and their snare 1672 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II. 630.
Mr. Robertsone's referring it to his oath in the other process was the neckbreak of this 1676 Ib. III. 89.
There were two neckbrecks of this cause 1685 Sinclair Satan's Invisible World 241.
Let us beware that such a mans fall prove not a neck break to us 1685-8 Renwick Serm. 293.
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"Neck-break n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/neck_break>
