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trap

noun · verb

Simple meaning

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

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

trap
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈtɹæp

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  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.

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

  3. Any device used to hold and suddenly release an object.

  4. by extensioncartographylawtechnical

    A (usually fictional) location or feature originally added to a map to detect plagiarism and copyright violations by other map makers or map services.

  5. 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.

  6. A wooden instrument shaped somewhat like a shoe, used in the game of trapball.

verb

  1. intransitive

    To set traps for game; to make a business of trapping game; to travel for the purpose of trapping.

  2. intransitive

    To leave suddenly, to flee.

  3. transitive

    To ensnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap.

  4. To dress with ornaments; to adorn (especially said of horses).

  5. Hold or catch as if in a trap

    “The gaps between the teeth trap food particles.”

  6. transitive

    To physically capture, to catch in a trap or traps, or something like a trap.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
General English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: 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.

Used this way, trap is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Negative
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Serious and weighty
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • snare , a specialist term, precise but narrower
  • bunker , a specialist term, precise but narrower
  • trammel , rarer, so it draws attention

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use trap

  • “The exam was full of trap questions.”noun
  • “The gaps between the teeth trap food particles.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

trap doorion trapdeath traptrap setsteel trapfish trapcold trapbooby trap

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • trappingnounInflected form

    Stable gear consisting of a decorated covering for a horse, especially (formerly) for a warhorse.

  • trappernounInflected form

    Someone who sets traps for animals (usually to obtain their furs).

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • trap-and-drain augernounCompound term

    A plumber's snake for clearing a trap and drain.

  • trap blocknounCompound term

    An illegal block.

  • trap doornounCompound term

    A hinged or sliding door in a floor or ceiling.

  • trap linenounCompound term

    A line or series of traps.

  • trap playnounCompound term

    A play in which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and then blocked off as the runner goes through the place the lineman vacated.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

noun

Sense: machine

snareTechnicalbunkerTechnicaltrammelRare

verb

Sense: to set traps for game

entrapensnare

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.