horse-collar

American

[hawrs-kol-er] / ˈhɔrsˌkɒl ər /

noun

(especially in baseball) a score of zero.

verb (used with object)

to prevent (an opposing baseball team or batter) from scoring or making a base hit.

Etymology

Origin of horse-collar

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Brown on third down with 7 seconds left, compounding his error by committing a horse-collar tackle that moved the Eagles to the Rams 14-yard line.

From Washington Times • Oct. 9, 2023

The hip-drop is similar to a horse-collar tackle, banned by the league several years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2023

Williams was a fearsome Dallas Cowboys defensive back whose play prompted NFL owners to ban the horse-collar tackle.

From Fox News • Mar. 17, 2022

The 2015 No. 1 overall pick was off to a solid start as Drew Brees’ successor in New Orleans when Bucs LB Devin White’s horse-collar tackle resulted in Winston suffering a season-ending knee injury.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2021

The head only grinned and waggled pleasantly, as it had been through a horse-collar at Dantzig fair.

From Red Axe by Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023