Wrestling moves where you wrap your arms around someone's head to control them, or the plural of headlock.
Compound of 'head' (Old English 'heafod') and 'lock' (Old English 'loc', meaning to fasten). The term emerged in wrestling terminology in the 19th century to describe a specific grappling technique.
Headlocks are so effective in wrestling because they control the opponent's vision and balance simultaneously—it's why they're taught as foundational techniques. The term perfectly describes the dual nature of the move: you're literally locking the head in place.
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