A lasso is a long rope with a loop at one end, used to catch animals by throwing the loop over their head or around their legs. Cowboys and ranchers use lassos (the plural can be lassos or lassoes) to catch cattle and horses on the open range. The loop is designed to tighten when pulled, securing the animal.

Using a lasso takes serious skill. You have to spin the rope overhead to build momentum, then release it at just the right moment so the loop flies through the air and lands around your target. Professional ropers can lasso a running calf from horseback, which requires perfect timing and years of practice.

In the American West, the lasso became an essential tool for managing livestock across vast ranches where animals roamed freely. Today, you'll still see working cowboys using lassos, and lassoing has become a competitive rodeo sport where riders race against the clock to rope cattle.

As a verb, to lasso means to catch something with a lasso: “She managed to lasso the runaway horse before it reached the highway.”