A muscle in the back of the neck. It arises by a narrow tendinous band from the spinous processes of the third to the sixth thoracic vertebrae; it is inserted, by tendinous fasciculi, into the posterior tubercles of the transverse processes of the upper two or three cervical vertebrae. Its name is based on the Greek word "splenion" (meaning a bandage) and the Latin words "cervix" (meaning a neck). The word "collum" also refers to the neck in Latin.