short rope equipped with carabiners. snaps. and/or eye splices. Work-positioning lanyards are used for temporarily securing a climber in one place. (see buckstrap. work-positioning lanyard. safety lanyard and flip line).
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
lanyard (noun)1.
a piece of rope or line for fastening something in a ship , especially one of the pieces passing through deadeyes to extend shrouds or stays
2.
a) a cord or strap to hold something (as a knife or a whistle) and usually worn around the neck
b) a cord worn as a symbol of a military citation
3.
a strong line used to activate a system (as in firing a cannon)
lanyard (Wikipedia)
Lanyard for keys; notice the metal clip is similar to that of a leash
A lanyard is a cord or strap worn around the neck, shoulder, or wrist to carry such items as keys or identification cards. In the military, lanyards were used to fire an artillery piece or arm the fuze mechanism on an air-dropped bomb by pulling out a cotter pin (thereby starting the arming delay) when it leaves the aircraft. They are also used to attach a pistol to a body so that it can be dropped without being lost. Aboard a ship, it may refer to a piece of rigging used to secure or lower objects.