lariat

American  

[lar-ee-uht] / ˈlær i ət /

noun

1. a long, noosed rope used to catch horses, cattle, or other livestock; lasso.

2. a rope used to picket grazing animals.

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lariat British  

/ ˈlærɪət /

noun

1. another word for lasso

2. a rope for tethering animals

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Etymology

Origin of lariat

1825–35; < Spanish la reata the riata

Explanation

A lariat is another word for a lasso, the loop of rope you'd use to catch a steer if you were a cowboy. While lariat and lasso can be used interchangeably, it's more common for U.S. cowboys to call the looped rope they throw around the necks of errant cattle a lariat (or simply a "rope") and to use lasso as a verb. If you want to fit in on a ranch, you might say, "Throw me that lariat so I can lasso that steer." Lariat comes from the Spanish la reata, "the rope."

Example Sentences

This appearance has led to them being named "lariat introns."

From Science Daily • May 10, 2024

A Reuters video showed a Border Patrol agent using what the news agency described as a lariat to whip at a Haitian migrant trying to enter the United States from Mexico.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2021

A U.S. law enforcement officer on horseback wielded what appeared to be a lariat, whipping it close to the face of a man wading in the Rio Grande carrying a plastic bag of food.

From Reuters • Sep. 20, 2021

At one point, he displayed his dissatisfaction with a floor design on the concourse — a rope encircling what appears to be a starburst — by sending the architects a lariat for guidance.

From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2020

He tied the lariat rope around her neck and slipped off the bridle to let her graze.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko