Etymologically
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nelson

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 05:46. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈnɛlsən/[1]

Etymology

It is apparently from the surname Nelson, but whose name it was is unknown.[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A wrestling hold: 1875, as Full Nelson, in Chambers's Journal on Lancashire wrestling;[2] 1889 in the OED and MWU.[6][4]

Semantic evolution

The full or double nelson passes both arms under the opponent's arms from behind and clasps the hands on the back of the neck; the half nelson uses one arm.[5][7] Figuratively a half nelson is a firm hold on someone.[8]

Timeline

  • 1875 – Full Nelson.[2]
  • 1889 – nelson in the OED.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (wrestling) A hold in which one or both arms are passed under the opponent's arms from behind, with pressure on the back of the neck.

Word family

  • half nelson
  • full nelson
  • wrestling

Usage notes

Nelson, capitalized, names things associated with Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805), such as a Nelson eye, a blind eye, and the Nelson cake.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  8. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin