Definition

1. Noun:
   • A wrestling hold: A restraining move used in wrestling and other combat sports where one competitor secures the opponent's head, typically by encircling it with their arm, applying pressure to the neck and head.

Usage

• The primary use of "headlock" is to describe a specific grappling technique intended to control or submit an opponent.
• It is most commonly used in the context of sports like wrestling, judo, or mixed martial arts, but can also appear in informal descriptions of physical struggles.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The wrestler applied a tight headlock to gain control of the match.
  • He escaped from the headlock by twisting his body.
  • Putting someone in a headlock is often against the rules in a schoolyard fight.

Advanced Usage

• "to have someone in a headlock": To be actively applying this hold on someone.
  • The larger boy had the smaller one in a headlock.
• "to put/get someone in/into a headlock": To apply this hold to someone.
  • He managed to put his opponent into a headlock within the first minute.

Variants and Related Words

• Headlock itself is a compound noun. There are no standard verb forms (e.g., "to headlock" is non-standard).
• Full nelson: Another type of wrestling hold that also involves controlling the head and arms.
• Chokehold: A general term for a hold that restricts breathing or blood flow to the head, which a headlock can sometimes be.

Synonyms

• Wrestling hold: The general category.
• Grapevine (of the head): A less common, more descriptive synonym.

Related Phrases

• (Phrasal verbs are not typically associated with the noun "headlock".)

Related Idioms

• (There are no common idioms directly featuring the word "headlock".)

Noun

1. a wrestling hold in which the opponent's head is locked between the crook of your elbow and the side of your body