lanyard

noun5

1. •
   A short rope used for fastening rigging, as a handle, etc.

   • "Take ahold here, an' keep ringin' steady," said Dan, passing Harvey the lanyard of a bell that hung just behind the windlass. — 1896
2. •
   A cord worn around the neck, shoulder, or wrist which is attached to a small object to be carried such as an identity card or security pass, key, knife, or whistle.
3. •
   A cord with a hook which is secured to an artillery piece, and pulled to fire the weapon.
4. •
   A craft activity done by intricately braiding thin colored plastic lines to make patterns, or the product of such a craft.

   • It's lanyard. It's a camp tradition. You'll have about a million lanyard key chains by the time the summer is over. — 2006
5. •
   (UK, disapproving) A civil servant or mid-level bureaucrat, viewed as officious and overly concerned with social justice.

   • Completely agree. Nowhere more so than in Scotlsnd^([sic]), where the lanyards are making a mockery of how a parliament should work. — 2025