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lassosmore about lassos

lassos


  1  definition  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Lasso  \Lass"o\  (l[a^]s"s[-o])  n.;  pl  {Lassos}  (-s[=o]z).  [Sp. 
  lazo,  L.  laqueus  See  {Lace}.] 
  A  rope  or  long  thong  of  leather  with  a  running  noose,  used 
  for  catching  horses,  cattle,  etc 
 
  {Lasso  cell}  (Zo["o]l.),  one  of  a  peculiar  kind  of  defensive 
  and  offensive  stinging  cells,  found  in  great  numbers  in 
  all  c[oe]lenterates,  and  in  a  few  animals  of  other  groups. 
  They  are  most  highly  developed  in  the  tentacles  of 
  jellyfishes,  hydroids,  and  Actini[ae].  Each  of  these  cells 
  is  filled  with  fluid,  and  contains  a  long,  slender,  often 
  barbed,  hollow  thread  coiled  up  within  it  When  the  cell 
  contracts  the  thread  is  quickly  ejected,  being  at  the  same 
  time  turned  inside  out  The  thread  is  able  to  penetrate 
  the  flesh  of  various  small  soft-bodied  animals,  and 
  carries  a  subtle  poison  by  which  they  are  speedily 
  paralyzed  and  killed.  The  threads,  at  the  same  time,  hold 
  the  prey  in  position,  attached  to  the  tentacles.  Some  of 
  the  jellyfishes,  as  the  Portuguese  man-of-war,  and 
  {Cyanea},  are  able  to  penetrate  the  human  skin,  and 
  inflict  painful  stings  in  the  same  way  Called  also 
  {nettling  cell},  {cnida},  {cnidocell}. 




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