# trap

/ˈtɹæp/ (US) · /tɹˈæp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trap
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. animal catcher

noun · CEFR B1

a piece of equipment used for catching animals.

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

- The farmer set a trap in the barn to catch the mice.
- The naturalist used a humane trap to capture the injured fox without causing further trauma to its leg.

### 2. a trick

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- The police set a trap for the thief by leaving a marked bag in the car.
- The lawyer realized the witness was walking into a trap when the prosecutor began asking seemingly irrelevant questions about his whereabouts.

### 3. difficult situation

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- Many young families fall into the debt trap by using too many credit cards.
- The middle-income trap prevents many developing nations from reaching high-income status due to rising costs and declining competitiveness.

### 4. the mouth

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

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

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

- He told his brother to shut his trap before he got them both in trouble.
- The coach yelled at the players to shut their traps and listen to the new strategy for the second half.

### 5. drug house

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Slang

a place where illegal drugs are sold.

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

- The police raided a trap on the corner after neighbors complained about the noise.
- The documentary explores the social factors that lead young people into the lifestyle associated with the local trap houses.

### 6. plumbing seal

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

- If the sink smells bad, there might be a problem with the trap.
- The plumber cleared the debris from the P-trap to restore proper drainage and eliminate the persistent odor in the basement.

### 7. to capture

verb · CEFR B1

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

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

- The hikers were trapped in the cave by the rising tide.
- The insulation is designed to trap heat inside the house during the winter months to reduce energy costs.

### 8. to trick someone

verb · CEFR B2

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

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

- She felt trapped into saying yes because all her friends were watching.
- The journalist was accused of trying to trap the politician into making a controversial statement on camera.

## Examples

- The mouse avoided the trap and ate the cheese.
- The police set a trap to catch the thieves as they entered the building.
- Many young professionals find themselves in a debt trap, where high interest rates make it nearly impossible to pay off their initial loans.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.