Etymology

hammerlock

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Today it means: A hold, in wrestling, in which an opponent's arm is twisted up behind their back. Full definition →

First used late 19ᵗʰ century.
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The story

From hammer + lock.

First known use, by meaning

  • From late 19ᵗʰ century. A hold, in wrestling, in which an opponent's arm is twisted up behind their back.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.