lanyard

or lan·iard

[ lan-yerd ]

noun

1. Nautical. a short rope or wire rove through deadeyes to hold and tauten standing rigging.
2. any of various small cords or ropes for securing or suspending something, as a whistle about the neck or a knife from one's belt.
3. a cord with a small hook at one end, used in firing certain kinds of cannon.
4. a colored, single-strand cord worn around the left shoulder by a member of a military unit awarded a foreign decoration.
5. a white cord worn around the right shoulder, as by a military police officer, and secured to the butt of a pistol.

lanyard

/ ˈlænjəd /

noun

1. a cord worn around the neck, shoulder, etc, to hold something such as a whistle or knife
2. a similar but merely decorative cord worn as part of a military uniform
3. a cord with an attached hook used in firing certain types of cannon
4. nautical a line rove through deadeyes for extending or tightening standing rigging

Word History and Origins

Origin of lanyard¹

1475–85; blend of late Middle English lanyer (< Middle French laniere, Old French lasniere thong, equivalent to lasne noose + -iere, feminine of -ier -ier ² ) and yard ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of lanyard¹

C15 lanyer, from French lanière, from lasne strap, probably of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

The organizers handed out flyers and lanyards and offered trays of chicken wings.

From TIme

It comes with a suction cup and long lanyard, so you won’t have any trouble finding a home for this speaker in your shower.

From Popular-Science

Worn either as a badge or attached to a lanyard, it marries the convention of swapping contact details with real-time, cloud-based convenience.

From MIT Technology Review

“It was a preventable death,” said Milleron, who, along with her husband and son, Tor, wore smiling photographs of Samya on lanyards around their necks.

From Washington Post

Mr. Ziff carried a stop watch on a leather lanyard, like Captain Queeg.

From The Daily Beast

An identification tag dangling from a lanyard around his neck was tucked discreetly into a breast pocket.

From The Daily Beast

Dan inserted the primer, pulled the lanyard and sent the contents of the gun into the ranks of the enemy.

From Project Gutenberg

It was his part to fire the gun by pulling the lanyard, and as often as he did it he playfully rolled over backward.

From Project Gutenberg

Barney vowed to put an end to that affair, and, carefully sighting one of his cannon, pulled the lanyard.

From Project Gutenberg

Cushing, standing in the stern, held in one hand the tiller ropes, in the other the lanyard of the torpedo.

From Project Gutenberg

He got out the lanyard, slipped a cartridge in the breech, paused, and scratched his head again.

From Project Gutenberg