corral

American  

[kuh-ral] / kəˈræl /

noun

1. an enclosure or pen for horses, cattle, etc.

2. a circular enclosure formed by wagons during an encampment, as by covered wagons crossing the North American plains in the 19th century, for defense against attack.

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verb (used with object)

corralled, corralling

1. to confine in or as if in a corral.

2. Informal.

   1. to seize; capture.

   2. to collect, gather, or garner.

      to corral votes.

3. to form (wagons) into a corral.

corral British  

/ kɒˈrɑːl /

noun

1. an enclosure for confining cattle or horses

2. (formerly) a defensive enclosure formed by a ring of covered wagons

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verb

1. to drive into and confine in or as in a corral

2. informal to capture

Etymology

Origin of corral

1575–85; < Spanish < Late Latin *currāle enclosure for carts, equivalent to Latin curr ( us ) wagon, cart (derivative of currere to run) + -āle, neuter of -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

Speaking on Good Morning Ulster, she described how "in many cases" social media companies are "like the wild west and trying to corral it and control it can be incredibly difficult".

From BBC

Security officials dressed in Barbour jackets and earpieces discreetly corralled the crowd.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was designed to corral a small group of suspects within a delimited space, thereby reducing the number of variables the writer needed to juggle and the reader to remember.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fundraising for healthcare venture capitalists these days is a slog—but some are overcoming a tough market to corral new investment pools.

From The Wall Street Journal

I corral the boys into the living room while Emma tosses paper plates and plastic forks into the garbage.

From Literature

Related Words

• coop up
• lock up