name · noun · 34 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈnɛlsən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛlsən
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:N EH1 L S AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
A surname originating as a patronymic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
name
Meaning 2
A male given name transferred from the surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
A placename
A place in Australia.
A suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
name
Meaning 4
A placename
A place in Australia.
A locality in the Bega Valley council area, south-eastern New South Wales, Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
name
Meaning 5
A placename
A place in Australia.
A small fishing town in Victoria, Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
A placename
A city in British Columbia, Canada.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
name
Meaning 7
A placename
A city and region of New Zealand, named after Horatio Nelson.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
name
Meaning 8
A placename
A place in the United Kingdom:
A town and civil parish in Pendle borough, Lancashire, England.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
name
Meaning 9
A placename
A place in the United Kingdom:
A village and community in Caerphilly borough, Wales (OS grid ref ST1195).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
name
Meaning 10
A placename
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Shelby County, Alabama.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
name
Meaning 11
A placename
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Butte County, California.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
name
Meaning 12
A placename
A place in the United States:
A small city in Pickens County and Cherokee County, Georgia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
name
Meaning 13
A placename
A place in the United States:
A village and township in Lee County, Illinois.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
name
Meaning 14
A placename
A place in the United States:
A township in Cloud County, Kansas
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
name
Meaning 15
A placename
A place in the United States:
A township in Kent County, Michigan.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
name
Meaning 16
A placename
A place in the United States:
A minor city in Douglas County, Minnesota.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
17
name
Meaning 17
A placename
A place in the United States:
A minor city in Saline County, Missouri.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
18
name
Meaning 18
A placename
A place in the United States:
A township in Watonwan County, Minnesota.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
19
name
Meaning 19
A placename
A place in the United States:
A minor city, the county seat of Nuckolls County, Nebraska.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
20
name
Meaning 20
A placename
A place in the United States:
A census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
21
name
Meaning 21
A placename
A place in the United States:
A town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
22
name
Meaning 22
A placename
A place in the United States:
A town in Madison County, New York.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
23
name
Meaning 23
A placename
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Durham County, North Carolina.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
24
name
Meaning 24
A placename
A place in the United States:
A township in Barnes County, North Dakota
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
25
name
Meaning 25
A placename
A place in the United States:
A township in Portage County, Ohio.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
26
name
Meaning 26
A placename
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Choctaw County, Oklahoma.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
27
name
Meaning 27
A placename
A place in the United States:
A township in Tioga County, Pennsylvania
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
28
name
Meaning 28
A placename
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
29
name
Meaning 29
A placename
A place in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Boone County, West Virginia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
30
name
Meaning 30
A placename
A place in the United States:
A town and village therein, in Buffalo County, Wisconsin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
31
noun
Meaning 31
A score of 111, sometimes considered to be unlucky.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
32
noun
Meaning 32
A wrestling hold in which a wrestler's arm is locked behind their back.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war, wrestling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
33
noun
Meaning 33
any of several wrestling holds in which an arm is passed under the opponent's arm from behind and the hand exerts pressure on the back of the neck
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: wrestling hold
Narrower terms: full nelson, half nelson
34
noun
Meaning 34
English admiral who defeated the French fleets of Napoleon but was mortally wounded at Trafalgar (1758-1805)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Horatio Nelson, Viscount Nelson, Admiral Nelson, Lord Nelson
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: admiral, full admiral
History
Etymology
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".
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.
Across languages
Translations
4 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
納爾遜 /纳尔逊
(Nà'ěrxùn)
— male given name