A short, stiff riding whip with a handle and a leather lash, used traditionally in ranching and horseback riding.
From Spanish 'cuerda,' meaning 'rope' or 'cord,' which entered American English in the American Southwest during the 1800s through ranching culture.
The quirt came to English from Spanish—like many Western ranching terms such as lasso and rodeo—showing how the cattle culture of Mexico and Spain shaped American vocabulary and equipment in the Southwest!
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