lariat

[ lar-ee-uht ]
See synonyms for lariat on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a long, noosed rope used to catch horses, cattle, or other livestock; lasso.

  2. a rope used to picket grazing animals.

Origin of lariat

1
1825–35; <Spanish la reata the riata

Words Nearby lariat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lariat in a sentence

  • At last one of the men mounted his horse, and set out with his lariat to lasso the refractory beast in true cow-boy style.

  • Passing from the stern to the bow, he knelt down and dipped one hand in the water, ready to clutch the end of the lariat.

    Overland | John William De Forest
  • For a time he stared more at the mangled lariat than at the amazing scenery through which he was gliding.

    Overland | John William De Forest
  • Thurstane took the lariat, inspected the breakage carefully, and scowled with helpless rage.

    Overland | John William De Forest
  • Little Raven had kept tight hold of the lariat, however, and as the pony struggled to its feet he sprang upon its back.

    Three Sioux Scouts | Elmer Russell Gregor

British Dictionary definitions for lariat

lariat

/ (ˈlærɪət) /


nounUS and Canadian
  1. another word for lasso

  2. a rope for tethering animals

Origin of lariat

1
C19: from Spanish la reata the lasso

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012