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scissors hold

scissors hold

8.1
A wrestler wraps their legs around someone's body or head and squeezes them with the feet
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪz.ərz hoʊld/
  • Jargon
translation icon : llave en tijera
  • She managed to break free from his scissors hold just in time.

Examples

  • The wrestler applied a tight scissors hold around his opponent's waist.

  • He won the match by trapping his rival in a scissors hold around the neck.

  • He applied a strong scissors hold during the match.

  • The wrestler used a scissors hold to gain an advantage.

  • The wrestler applied a scissors hold to immobilize his opponent on the mat.

  • During the match, she used a scissors hold to gain the upper hand against her rival.

  • He learned how to perform a scissors hold in his wrestling class last week.

Synonyms

lock
vsscissors hold
  • Jargon
14 7.4

A way of holding an opponent by twisting or pressing a body part

is the specific leg wrap squeeze rather than a general restraint
scissors
vsscissors hold
  • Jargon
11 7.9

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

matches that action but differs slightly in phrasing
scissor hold
vsscissors hold
  • Jargon
1 7.8

A position where someone wraps their legs around an opponent's body or head and presses their feet together to squeeze

is identical in meaning but differs in written form
wrestling hold
vsscissors hold
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A grip or move used to control an opponent in a match

is one particular leg wrap squeezing maneuver among many grips
scissors grip
vsscissors hold
  • Jargon
8.4

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

is the defined form focusing on the same squeezing technique
scissor grip
vsscissors hold
  • Jargon
8.3

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

uses pressing feet together instead of locking them

Surface Forms

scissors hold singular

Morphology

scissors + hold

The meaning — a grip that squeezes like a pair of scissors — is directly inferable from 'scissors' (suggesting a two-part squeezing action) combined with 'hold' (a grip). The noun+noun composition transparently names the type of grip and relies on a concrete, cross-linguistically accessible physical image, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to understand it.

Etymology

Scissors hold comes from the image of a wrestler wrapping their legs around an opponent like a pair of scissors, then closing them to squeeze. That's why it means 'a wrestling hold' that traps and presses the body or neck.