trap

/træp/

/træp/

Other forms: traps; trapped; trapping

A trap is something you can’t get out of. If a critter is nibbling at your cherry tomato plants, set a trap to catch the thief. (But if it turns out to be your little brother, set him free!)

If a TV character yells, "Look out! It's a trap!" they're dramatically warning someone about an imminent surprise attack or mean-spirited trick. Other kinds of traps include a plumbing trap, a curved pipe that traps liquid in it so that gases can't rise up into your sink, and a sand trap, the tricky hollow where your ball gets stuck on a golf course. The Germanic root word of trap literally means "that onto which one steps."

Definitions of trap

1. noun

   a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
   types:

   flytrap

   a trap for catching flies

   lobster pot

   trap for catching lobsters

   mantrap

   a trap for catching trespassers

   mousetrap

   a trap for catching mice

   net

   a trap made of netting to catch fish or birds or insects

   pit, pitfall

   a trap in the form of a concealed hole

   pound net

   trap consisting of an arrangement of nets directing fish into an enclosure

   rattrap

   a trap for catching rats

   gin, noose, snare

   a trap for birds or small mammals; often has a slip noose

   steel trap

   a trap made of steel with a strong spring and sharp toothlike projections to hold the prey

   entanglement, web

   an intricate trap that entangles or ensnares its victim

   brail

   a small net used to draw fish into a boat

   fishing net, fishnet

   a net that will enclose fish when it is pulled in

   spider web, spider's web

   a web resembling the webs spun by spiders

   type of:

   device

   an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
2. noun

   drain consisting of a U-shaped section of drainpipe that holds liquid and so prevents a return flow of sewer gas
   type of:

   drain, drainpipe, waste pipe

   a pipe through which liquid is carried away
3. verb

   catch in or as if in a trap
   “The men trap foxes”

   synonyms: ensnare, entrap, snare, trammel

   types:

   gin

   trap with a snare

   type of:

   capture, catch

   capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping
4. verb

   to hold fast or prevent from moving
   synonyms: immobilise, immobilize, pin
5. verb

   hold or catch as if in a trap
   “The gaps between the teeth trap food particles”

   type of:

   hold, take hold

   have or hold in one's hands or grip
6. noun

   something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares
   “the exam was full of trap questions”

   synonyms: snare

   types:

   iron trap

   a trap from which there is no escape

   speed trap

   a trap arranged on a roadway for catching speeders

   type of:

   design, plan

   an arrangement scheme
7. noun

   the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprise
   synonyms: ambuscade, ambush, lying in wait

   types:

   dry-gulching

   the act of killing from ambush

   type of:

   coup de main, surprise attack

   an attack without warning
8. noun

   a hazard on a golf course
   synonyms: bunker, sand trap

   type of:

   hazard

   an obstacle on a golf course
9. verb

   place in a confining or embarrassing position
   “He was trapped in a difficult situation”

   synonyms: pin down

   type of:

   confine, detain

   deprive of freedom; take into confinement
10. noun

    a device to hurl clay pigeons into the air for trapshooters
    type of:

    mechanical device

    mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles
11. noun

    informal terms for the mouth
    synonyms: cakehole, gob, hole, maw, yap

    type of:

    mouth, oral cavity, oral fissure, rima oris

    the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
12. noun

    a light two-wheeled carriage
    type of:

    carriage, equipage, rig

    a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses