Bolas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords used for ensnaring animals; a tool traditionally employed by hunters to capture prey by entangling their legs; a type of lasso designed for use in specific hunting techniques, highlighting cultural practices
2. A projectile consisting of several heavy weights attached to a long string used primarily to trap or capture game; a device historically utilized in various regional hunting methods to immobilize animals quickly; a specialized tool reflecting traditional hunting strategies and skills across different cultures
3. An implement featuring weighted ends connected by ropes for the purpose of ensnaring animals; a significant artifact in hunting utilized to catch and restrain targets effectively; a hunting aid that showcases indigenous ingenuity in capturing game with precision

Etymology: The bolas was used by the Indigenous peoples of the Pampas and Patagonia in South America, and its name comes from Spanish, where "bola" means "ball." The weapon consists of two or three stones or metal balls wrapped in leather and joined by cords, which are whirled and thrown so the cords wrap around a running animal's legs. English took the word directly from Spanish "bola(s)," with a Portuguese form alongside it, and it first appears in print in 1843. The Spanish word goes back through Old Occitan "bola" to Vulgar Latin "bolla," a sphere or ball, which was itself linked to Latin "bulla," a bubble or knob. Naming the weapon after its weights rather than its cords makes the origin plain: the thing that gives the bolas its shape is simply a ball.

Synonyms: lasso, rope