I.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.—
