nel·son | \ ˈnel-sən 
\
\Definition of nelson
(Entry 1 of 3)
: a wrestling hold marked by the application of leverage against an opponent's arm, neck, and head — compare full nelson, half nelson
Nelson
biographical nameNel·son | \ ˈnel-sən \
\Definition of Nelson (Entry 2 of 3)
Horatio 1758–1805 Viscount Nelson British admiral
Nelson
geographical nameNel·son | \ ˈnel-sən \
\Definition of Nelson (Entry 3 of 3)
1 river 400 miles (644 kilometers) long in Manitoba, Canada, flowing from the northern end of Lake Winnipeg to Hudson Bay
2 city and port at the head of a bay on the northern coast of the South Island, New Zealand population 37,943
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on nelson
What made you want to look up nelson? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Namesakes Word Quiz
- Which of the following is a fruit named after a Moroccan seaport?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Namesakes Word Quiz
When names become words and then we ask you about...
Take the quiz - Farm Idioms Quiz
Not your children's farm quiz.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a ...
Play the game
Share nelson
Time Traveler for nelson
The first known use of nelson was in 1889
See more words from the same year