Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Lariat

Lariat (lar"i*at) , noun

[Sp. la reata the rope; la the + reata rope. Compare Reata.]

A long, slender rope made of hemp or strips of hide, esp. one with a noose; -- used as a lasso for catching cattle, horses, etc., and for picketing a horse so that he can graze without wandering. [Mexico & Western United States]

Lariat (lar"i*at) , transitive verb

To secure with a lariat fastened to a stake, as a horse or mule for grazing; also, to lasso or catch with a lariat. [Western United States]