What does bola mean?
A bola is a traditional throwing weapon made up of two or more heavy balls — originally stones, later metal or wood — fastened to the ends of long cords. The hunter whirls the bola around the head and releases it so that the spinning cords wrap around the legs or body of the target animal, tripping or immobilizing it without killing it outright. The weapon is most closely associated with the gauchos of Argentina and other peoples of the South American plains, who used it to capture cattle, guanaco, and other game. In English, the plural form 'bolas' commonly serves as the general name for the weapon, and the term appears mainly in historical, anthropological, and hunting contexts. Its enduring appeal lies in its elegant simplicity: nothing more than weight, cord, and skill, yet capable of bringing down swift-moving prey at a considerable distance.
nounA bola is a throwing weapon consisting of two or more heavy balls or stones attached to the ends of cords, whirled overhead and released to entangle the legs of animals such as cattle or guanacos.
- A South American throwing weapon of weighted balls on cords, used to ensnare animals by tangling their legs.
- (in plural form 'bolas') The name given to this weapon collectively.
"The gauzeño whirled his bola above his head and brought down the runaway calf."
"Argentine gauchos still use the bola to catch cattle and guanaco on the open pampas."
"Museum visitors admired a centuries-old bola made of stone balls and braided leather thongs."
In English the plural 'bolas' is the conventional way to refer to the weapon as a whole, often treated as a singular collective name.
"The hunter swung the bolas and released them toward the fleeing herd."
The same basic idea behind the bola — a weight on a cord — was independently invented by hunters in South America and by spiders: the aptly named 'bolas spider' swings a sticky droplet on silk to snare moths.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bola
The word bola comes directly from Spanish, where 'bola' means 'ball', and was adopted into English through accounts of South American travel and hunting during the colonial and early modern periods. It belongs to the broader family of ball-related words found across many European languages, reflecting a common ancient root. English writers describing the pampas and its gaucho horsemen helped fix the term in the language, generally using the plural 'bolas' when referring to the complete weapon.
Related word forms
How bola is actually used
In English usage the plural 'bolas' often functions as the standard name of the weapon itself; writers frequently refer to 'a pair of bolas' or simply 'bolas' rather than a single bola. The word carries a distinctly South American, especially Argentine gaucho, association and is largely confined to ethnographic, historical, or hunting contexts in modern English.
Easily confused with bola
A bola is a weighted cord thrown to entangle an animal's legs, while a bolo is a large machete-like knife used in the Philippines and elsewhere.