LANIARD, noun lan'yard. A short piece of rope or line, used for fastening something in ships, as the laniards of the gun-ports, of the buoy, of the cathook, etc., but especially used to extend the shrouds and stays of the masts, by their communication with the dead eyes, etc.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI