trigger

English

Etymology

Originally tricker, from Dutch trekker (“pull”, noun, as in "drawer-pull", "bell-pull"), from trekken (“to drag, draw, pull”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪɡə/
• Rhymes: -ɪɡə(r)

Noun

trigger (plural triggers)

1. A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.

   Just pull the trigger.

2. A similar device used to activate any mechanism.
3. An event that initiates others, or incites a response.
4. (psychology) An event, experience or other stimulus that initiates a traumatic memory or action in a person.
5. (electronics) A pulse in an electronic circuit that initiates some component.
6. (computing) An SQL procedure that may be initiated when a record is inserted, updated or deleted; typically used to maintain referential integrity.
7. (online gaming) A text string that, when received by a player, will cause the player to execute a certain command.
8. (archaic) A catch to hold the wheel of a carriage on a declivity.

Derived terms

• trigger-happy
• trigger point
• trigger warning

Translations

finger-operated lever used to fire a gun

• Afrikaans: sneller
• Catalan: gallet (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 扳機, 扳机 (zh) (bānjī)

• Czech: spoušť (cs) f
• Danish: udløser c
• Esperanto: baskulo
• Finnish: liipaisin (fi)
• French: gâchette (fr) f
• Georgian: სასხლეტი (sasxleti)
• German: Abzug (de) m
• Greek: σκανδάλη (el) f (skandáli)
• Indonesian: pelatuk (id)

• Irish: truicear m
• Italian: grilletto (it) m
• Japanese: 引き金 (ひきがね, hikigane)
• Malay: picu n
• Maori: keu
• Norwegian Bokmål: utløser, utløyser
• Norwegian Nynorsk: utløysar
• Portuguese: gatilho (pt) m
• Russian: спусковой крючок (ru) m (spuskovój krjučók)
• Scottish Gaelic: snap m
• Slovak: spúšť f
• Spanish: gatillo (es) m
• Turkish: [4, 5] tetikleme

similar device used to activate any mechanism

• Czech: spoušť (cs) f
• Danish: udløser c
• Esperanto: baskulo
• German: Auslöser (de) m
• Greek: σκανδάλη (el) f (skandáli)

• Irish: truicear m
• Italian: levetta f
• Maori: keu
• Slovak: spúšťač m

event that initiates others, or incites a response

• Czech: spoušť (cs) f, spouštěč m
• Indonesian: pemicu (id)

• Italian: innesco (it) m, detonatore m

pulse in an electronic circuit that initiates some component

• Italian: impulso (it) m

SQL procedure

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 觸發器, 触发器 (zh) (chùfāqì)

• Japanese: トリガ (toriga)
• Russian: триггер (ru) m (trígger)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: gâchette f (1), déclenchement m (3)
• German: Abzug (de) m, Auslöser (de) m
• Icelandic: gikkur (is) m, byssugikkur m

• Maori: keu
• Polish: spust (pl) m
• Spanish: gatillo (es) m, disparador (es) m

Verb

trigger (third-person singular simple present triggers, present participle triggering, simple past and past participle triggered)

1. (transitive) to fire a weapon
2. (transitive) to initiate something
3. (transitive) to spark a response, especially a negative emotional response, in (someone)

   This story contains a rape scene and may be triggering for rape victims.

Translations

to fire a weapon

• Dutch: afvuren (nl), vuren (nl)
• Finnish: laukaista (fi)
• Greek: πυροδοτώ (el) (pyrodotó)
• Hungarian: elsüt (hu)

• Italian: premere il grilletto
• Spanish: apretar el gatillo, detonar
• Turkish: ateşlemek (tr)

to initiate something

• Dutch: initiëren (nl), activeren (nl), ontketenen (nl)
• Finnish: käynnistää (fi)
• German: auslösen (de)
• Greek: πυροδοτώ (el) (pyrodotó)

• Hungarian: kivált (hu)
• Italian: innescare
• Portuguese: desencadear
• Spanish: desencadenar (es)

See also

• Trigger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Database trigger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:Database trigger

External links

• trigger in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• trigger in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• trigger at OneLook Dictionary Search