DCHP-1 Online

corral ((v.))

• 1 v. Hist. enclose horses or cattle in a temporary ring of wagons or carts.

  • 1832  (1851)  On camping the carts were formed in a circle and at dark all horses &c. were corralled inside.
  • 1884  Parties at Maple Creek and Medicine Hat should be on their guard and keep their horses corralled as these are their objective points.
  • 1963  [The captain] rode between the two or four columns of carts, proceeding in formation over the prairies so that any moment they could halt sharply, or wheel into formation to corral horses and oxen, and stand off the Sioux.

• 2 v. drive horses or cattle into a fenced enclosure.

  • 1877  On such occasions, the whole guard has to be corralled or penned, and the selection made. It would be impossible for a thief to steal one except by corralling the band.
  • 1964  Soon he widened his business and started shipping cattle from Manitoba to Calgary, corralling them on a half section of land that now forms the Regal Golf Course.

• 3 v. drive fish into a trap or barrier.

  • 1937  [Caption] Large stone fish trap at mouth of River Nadluktak, where Arctic char and salmon trout running upstream corral themselves.

• 4 v. Slang to catch; apprehend; get hold of; collect.

  • 1878  "Why," said the old man, as he slyly reached up and corralled the most active of the two flies, "times have changed most 'mazingly."
  • 1916  Steele and his men went out north to corral Big Bear.
  • 1945  Corralling funds from the whole eastern "moneyshed," she organized an outstandingly attractive club for ratings. . . .