Vulcan nerve pinch n.

a one-handed pinch delivered (chiefly by Vulcans) to the base of a person’s neck that immediately renders the victim unconscious

Also Vulcan neck pinch.

Memory Alpha


Star Trek

  • [1968 D. C. Fontana Enterprise Incident (Star Trek episode) (transcription) D. C. Fontana

    [McCoy] Spock gave him a nerve pinch to simulate death.]

  • 1968 Assignment: Earth (Star Trek episode) (transcription)

    Captain’s log, supplemental. A man in a twentieth century business suit. What is he? Not even Spock’s Vulcan neck pinch could stop him. Without our phasers, he would have over powered all five of us.

  • 1972 Monster Times (vol. 1, no. 2) 16 Feb. 10/2 page image

    Spock’s Vulcan nerve pinch, which came across so well on the screen just wouldn’t be visual enough for comics.

  • 1974 Bem (Star Trek: The Animated Series episode) (transcription)

    [Kirk] Why don’t you try your Vulcan nerve pinch.

  • 1984 B. Bova Isolation Area in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Oct. 90/1 page image Ben Bova bibliography

    Rap me on the head. Knock me out. Give me a Vulcan nerve pinch. Anything!

  • 2004 L. Grossman Codex viii. 156 Lev Grossman bibliography

    You overpowered me with a Vulcan nerve pinch and took the key away by main force.

  • 2007 N.Y. Times Magazine 24 June 30/2

    Suffice it to say that in every dojo I have ever been in, somebody has laughingly tried out the Vulcan nerve pinch on somebody else.

  • 2015 SFX (#260) June 49 page image

    Spock deals with ghetto-blasting ’80s hell in his own inimitable way: a timely application of the Vulcan nerve pinch.

Last modified 2021-02-16 17:12:06
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.