trap

English

leghold trap

Pronunciation

(UK, US)

• Rhymes: -æp

Etymology 1

Old English træppe (in coletræppe), treppe, of uncertain ultimate origin. Cognate with French trappe, Spanish trampa.

Noun

trap (plural traps)

1. A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body.

   I put down some traps in my apartment to try and deal with the mouse problem.

2. A trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense.

   Unfortunately she fell into the trap of confusing biology with destiny.

3. A covering over a hole or opening; a trapdoor.

   Close the trap, would you, before someone falls and breaks their neck.

4. A wooden instrument shaped somewhat like a shoe, used in the game of trapball; the game of trapball itself.
5. Any device used to hold and suddenly release an object.

   They shot out of the school gates like greyhounds out of the trap.

6. A bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe arranged so that the liquid contents form a seal which prevents the escape of noxious gases, but permits the flow of liquids.
7. A place in a water pipe, pump, etc., where air accumulates for want of an outlet.
8. (Historical) A light two-wheeled carriage with springs.

   Have James prepare the trap – I wish to visit the parson.

9. A kind of movable stepladder.
10. (Slang) A persons' mouth.

    To ask a person not to reveal any information

    Keep your trap shut.

11. (Slang, Perjorative) Transvestite

    A man that one engages in a relationship with, believing him to be a woman.

    I saw your brother asking a trap out last night at the bar!

Synonyms

• snare

Translations

• Albanian: kurth
• Arabic: Template:ARchar Template:Unicode
• Chinese: 陷阱 (xiànjǐng)
• Dutch: val Template:f (1,2), trapladder Template:f (8)
• Finnish: ansa, loukku
• French: piège (1,2), traquenard (2)
• German: Falle Template:f
• Hungarian: csapda
• Italian: trappola Template:f (1,2)

• Japanese: わな (wana)
• Korean: 덫 (deoch, deot), 함정 (陷穽, hamjeong)
• Portuguese: armadilha Template:f
• Romanian: cursă Template:f
• Russian: западня (zapadnjá) Template:f
• Slovak: pasca Template:f (1,2), lesť Template:f (2)
• Spanish: trampa Template:f, cepo Template:n
• Swedish: fälla

Verb

trap (third-person singular simple present trapp, present participle ing, simple past and past participle trapped)

1. (transitive) To catch in a trap or traps; as, to trap foxes.
2. (transitive) To ensnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap.
3. (transitive) To provide with a trap; as, to trap a drain; to trap a sewer pipe.
4. (intransitive) To set traps for game; to make a business of trapping game; as, to trap for beaver.
5. (intransitive) To leave suddenly, to flee.

Related terms

• entrap
• entrapment

Etymology 2

From Swedish trapp, from trappa ‘stair’.

Noun

trap (uncountable)

1. A dark coloured igneous rock, now used to designate any non-volcanic, non-granitic igneous rock; trap rock.

Adjective

trap (not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to trap rock; as, a trap dike.

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Dutch

Noun

trap (plural: trappen, diminutive: trapje)

1. stair, staircase
2. kick
3. bustard

Verb

trap

1. first person singular present tense of trappen

Translations

• English: kick