Etymology

nelson

N1E1L1S1O1N1

Today it means: A score of 111, sometimes considered to be unlucky. Full definition →

First used late 19th c.
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nelson · noun1

Cricket sense: origin disputed; supposedly from the belief that Lord Nelson had one eye, one arm and one leg. Wrestling sense: Back-formation from full nelson.

Nelson · proper noun2

From Middle English Neil + -son and Nell + -son. * In the United States, also an Anglicisation of North Germanic (Scandinavian) surnames such as Nilsen, Nielsen, and Nilsson, equivalent to "son of Nicholas".

First known use, by meaning

  • from late 19th c. A wrestling hold in which a wrestler's arm is locked behind their back.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.