ENGLISH
REFERENCE

trap

n. · v.
US //ˈtɹæp// UK //tɹˈæp// trap
  1. 1 animal catcher (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a piece of equipment used for catching animals.

    a mechanical device designed to capture or kill animals by containment or physical restraint.

    Example

    The farmer set a trap in the barn to catch the mice.

    Example

    The naturalist used a humane trap to capture the injured fox without causing further trauma to its leg.
  2. 2 a trick (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a clever plan used to trick someone into doing something or being caught.

    a stratagem or deceptive arrangement intended to catch an individual unawares or elicit a confession.

    Example

    The police set a trap for the thief by leaving a marked bag in the car.

    Example

    The lawyer realized the witness was walking into a trap when the prosecutor began asking seemingly irrelevant questions about his whereabouts.
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  1. 3 difficult situation (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    an unpleasant situation that is very hard to get out of.

    a restrictive or dangerous situation from which escape is difficult or impossible.

    Example

    Many young families fall into the debt trap by using too many credit cards.

    Example

    The middle-income trap prevents many developing nations from reaching high-income status due to rising costs and declining competitiveness.
  2. 4 the mouth (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang

    a person's mouth, usually used when telling someone to be quiet.

    a slang term for the human mouth, typically used in imperative constructions regarding silence.

    Example

    He told his brother to shut his trap before he got them both in trouble.

    Example

    The coach yelled at the players to shut their traps and listen to the new strategy for the second half.
  3. 5 drug house (n.)
    C2 Proficiency American English Slang

    a place where illegal drugs are sold.

    a location, such as a residential building or street corner, where illicit drugs are manufactured or distributed.

    Example

    The police raided a trap on the corner after neighbors complained about the noise.

    Example

    The documentary explores the social factors that lead young people into the lifestyle associated with the local trap houses.
    • trap house
  4. 6 plumbing seal (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Technical

    a curved pipe under a sink that holds water to stop bad smells from coming up.

    a U-shaped or S-shaped section of a waste pipe that utilizes a liquid seal to prevent the entry of sewer gases into a building.

    Example

    If the sink smells bad, there might be a problem with the trap.

    Example

    The plumber cleared the debris from the P-trap to restore proper drainage and eliminate the persistent odor in the basement.
    • u bend
    • p trap
  5. 7 to capture (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to catch an animal or person and keep them from escaping.

    to catch or retain an object, animal, or person within a confined space or device.

    Example

    The hikers were trapped in the cave by the rising tide.

    Example

    The insulation is designed to trap heat inside the house during the winter months to reduce energy costs.
  6. 8 to trick someone (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to trick someone into doing something they did not want to do.

    to induce someone into a compromising position or an unwanted action through deception.

    Example

    She felt trapped into saying yes because all her friends were watching.

    Example

    The journalist was accused of trying to trap the politician into making a controversial statement on camera.
Etymology 1

From Middle English trappe, from Old English træppe, treppe (“trap, snare”) (also in betræppan (“to trap”)) from Proto-West Germanic trappjā (“trap, snare”), from Proto-West Germanic trappjan (“to step”), from Proto-Germanic trapjaną (“to tread, stamp”), from Proto-Indo-European drebʰ- (“to step, trip, trample”). Cognate with Dutch trap (“step, stair”), German Low German Trapp (“step, stair”). Akin also to West Frisian traap (“stepping, treading, stairway”), German Treppe (“step, stair”), Old English træppan (“to step, tread”). Connection to "step" is "that upon which one steps". French trappe and Spanish trampa are ultimately borrowings from Germanic.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Swedish trapp (“step, stair, stairway”), from Middle Low German trappe (“stair, step”).

Etymology 3

Akin to Middle English trappe (“trappings, gear”), and perhaps from Old Northern French trape, a byform of Old French drap, a word of the same origin as English drab (“a kind of cloth”).

Etymology 4

Clipping of trapezius.

Idioms4 entries

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