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Glite Dictionary
scissor hold

scissor hold

1 7.8
A position where someone wraps their legs around an opponent's body or head and presses their feet together to squeeze
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪzər hoʊld/
  • Jargon
translation icon : llave de tijera
  • During the match, she applied a tight scissor hold to her rival, making it difficult to escape.

Examples

  • The wrestler executed a perfect scissor hold, immobilizing his opponent effectively.

  • You ever been in a scissor hold, motherfucker?

    CHiPS (2017)

  • "Jesus, I have legs of stone, fuckin' granite; I think I could get a man in a scissor hold, crack him in half with my legs."

    Fiction book (1991)

  • SHE'S GOT A SCISSOR HOLD ON MY NECK, RIGHT?

    Going Overboard (1989)

  • He managed to trap his opponent in a strong scissor hold, squeezing tightly with his legs.

Synonyms

scissors
vsscissor hold
  • Jargon
11 7.9

A wrestling hold where the legs wrap around another person and squeeze

highlights the specific pressing method rather than a general squeeze
scissors hold
vsscissor hold
  • Jargon
8.1

A wrestler wraps their legs around someone's body or head and squeezes them with the feet

is the same in meaning and in the exact squeezing action
scissors grip
vsscissor hold
  • Jargon
8.4

A hold that wraps the legs around an opponent's body or head and squeezes with the feet

focuses on the overall hold rather than emphasizing that pressing action
scissor grip
vsscissor hold
  • Jargon
8.3

A leg hold that wraps around an opponent and squeezes by locking the feet together

describes pressing foot contact instead of a locked foot position

Surface Forms

scissor hold singular
scissor holds plural

Morphology

scissor + hold

The compound clearly combines 'scissor' (a scissor-like cutting or pinching action) with 'hold' (a grip), so a learner can infer it denotes a grip that works like scissors. However, the precise mechanics (that it specifically involves wrapping the legs around an opponent and squeezing) are somewhat domain-specific and not fully predictable from the words alone, so partial exposure would likely be needed.

Etymology

Scissor hold comes from the image of a fighter wrapping their legs around an opponent like a pair of scissors and using that hold to squeeze. That's why it means to trap someone tightly and often force them to 'give up'.