lăquĕus (noun M) : cf. Gr. ἕλκω, draw, ὁλκός; Lat. lacio; perh. Germ. locken
* A noose, snare (class.; cf. tendicula).
* Lit., Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 41: saxa laqueis vinciebat,Sall. J. 94: laqueis falces avertebant,Caes. B. G. 7, 22: collum in laqueum inserere,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 17, § 37: inicere laqueum, to throw over any one, Liv. 1, 26: inicere cervicibus laqueum,Suet. Vit. 17: laqueo gulam alicui frangere,to throttle, strangle,Sall. C. 55, 4: ad laqueum compellere aliquem,to the halter,Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 12: alicui mandare laqueum,to bid go and be hanged,Juv. 10, 53: neque carcer neque laqueus,a halter, gallows,Tac. A. 3, 50; 5, 9: faucesque jam exanimis laqueo vexatae,id. ib. 6, 40.—Of a snare, trap or lasso used by hunters: laqueis captare feras,Verg. G. 1, 139: metuit foveam lupus accipiterque Suspectos laqueos,Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 51: laqueos et muscipula effugere,Phaedr. 4, 2, 8; cf.: impliciti laqueis nudus uterque jacent,Ov. A. A. 2, 580: dare in laqueum vestigia,to step into a snare,Juv. 13, 244.
* Trop., a snare, gin, trap.
* In gen.: judicii laqueos declinans,Cic. Mil. 15, 40; cf.: interrogationum laqueis aliquem irretire,id. de Or. 1, 10, 43: laquei Stoicorum,subtleties,id. Tusc. 5, 27, 76: Chrysippi laquei,id. Fat. 4, 7: legum et condicionum,id. Clu. 55, 150: verbi laqueo capere, id. Caecin. 29, 83.—Without a gen.: in hos inexplicabiles laqueos inciderunt,Quint. 5, 10, 101: (testes) inducuntur in laqueos,id. 5, 7, 11: sciens in hoc se laqueos induxit,Lact. 6, 12, 13.
* Fetters, chains, hinderances: tibi fortuna laqueum impegit, quem nec solvere posses nec erumpere,Sen. Tranq. 10, 1: nunquamne hos artissimos laqueos abrumpam,Plin. Ep. 2, 8, 3.

s. TLL