noose

[ noos ]

noun

1. a loop with a running knot, as in a snare, lasso, or hangman's halter, that tightens as the rope is pulled.
2. a tie or bond; snare.

verb (used with object)

, noosed, noos·ing.

1. to secure by or as by a noose.
2. to make a noose with or in (a rope or the like).

noose

/ nuːs /

noun

1. a loop in the end of a rope or cord, such as a lasso, snare, or hangman's halter, usually tied with a slipknot
2. something that restrains, binds, or traps
3. put one's head in a noose
   to bring about one's own downfall

verb

1. to secure or catch in or as if in a noose
2. to make a noose of or in

Other Words From

• nooser noun
• un·noosed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of noose¹

1400–50; late Middle English nose < ?

Word History and Origins

Origin of noose¹

C15: perhaps from Provençal nous, from Latin nōdus node

Example Sentences

“Every year, the noose tightens a little more. We finally have a mandate to delete the mountain of choking regulations that do not serve the greater good.”

From Los Angeles Times

In May, two inspectors found a large group of jailers watching a “sexually explicit” video instead of tending to a seemingly suicidal inmate who’d hung a rudimentary cloth noose in his cell.

From Los Angeles Times

Not one broken window, makeshift noose or whiff of bear spray.

From Los Angeles Times

During their visit to the high-security unit, the inspectors later wrote in their report, they’d been concerned to see a noose in one of the cells.

From Los Angeles Times

It was only after inspectors asked several deputies to intervene that one jailer finally tore down the noose before the inmate harmed himself, the report said.

From Los Angeles Times