lăquĕus, i, m. [cf. Gr. ἕλκω, draw, ὁλκός; Lat. lacio; perh. Germ. locken], a noose, snare (class.; cf. tendicula).
I 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.—
II Trop., a snare, gin, trap .
A 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.—
B 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.