noun
lasso
las-OO
noun
1
A long rope with a sliding loop, used especially by cowboys to catch cattle and horses.
"The cowboy twirled his lasso above his head before throwing it."
"She learned to lasso a fence post before ever trying it on a horse."
2
In image-editing software, a tool for selecting an irregular area by tracing around it freehand.
"Use the lasso tool to select just the outline of the mountain."
verb
1
To catch something by throwing a lasso around it.
"He lassoed the runaway calf before it reached the road."
How to Use Lasso
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA loop of rope for catching animals, or a computer tool for drawing a freehand selection.
Common pairings
throw a lasso
lasso tool
lasso a steer
Word Forms
lassoed past tense, lassos plural, lassoes plural, lassoes singular
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The cowboy twirled his _____ above his head before throwing it.
Etymology
From Spanish lazo ("loop, snare"), tracing back to Latin laqueus ("noose") — the same root that gives us "lace".