Lashing means tying something down firmly with rope or cord, usually by wrapping it many times and pulling it tight. When sailors secure cargo on a ship's deck, they use rope lashings to keep boxes and barrels from sliding around in rough seas. When you strap a kayak to the roof of a car, you're lashing it down.

The technique matters because a loose knot or single wrap often isn't enough when something needs to stay put through jostling, wind, or movement. Instead, multiple tight wraps create a secure hold. Scouts and campers learn various lashing techniques to build camp structures: they might use square lashing to join two poles at right angles or diagonal lashing to brace a wobbly frame.

The word also appears in the phrase lash out, which means to suddenly attack with words or actions, like how a whip lashes through the air. When someone feels cornered or angry, they might lash out at whoever is nearby, even if that person didn't cause the problem. This usage connects to how a rope or whip moves: quick, forceful, and sometimes without careful aim.

As a verb, to lash can also mean to strike sharply, like a whip lashing the air.