reata

R1E1A1T1A1
/ɹiˈɑːtə/

noun

A lariat or lasso.

Similar
lassolariatriata
OriginSpanish reata ← Old Spanish atar ← Latin aptō →
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Meanings

nounreata (plural reatas)

plural reatas · alternative riata

  1. TexasA lariat or lasso.

    The riders overtook them laughing and circled the cart at a full gallop until one of them took down his reata and dropped a loop over the mule’s head and brought it to a halt.

    1994, Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna long noosed rope used to catch animals

Similar
lassolariatriata
Broader
rope
Also see
lariatlassoriata

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Spanishre-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ptós
  6. Proto-Italic*aptos
  7. Latinaptus
  8. Proto-Indo-European[Term?]
  9. Proto-Italic*apjō
  10. Latinapiō
  11. Latinaptō
  12. Old Spanishatar
  13. Spanishatar
  14. Spanishreatardeverb.
  15. Spanishreata
  16. Englishreata

Borrowed from Spanish reata.

More words from Spanish

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

reata. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reata

MLA

“reata.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reata. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reata,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reata.

Source: reata on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.