Trap TRAP, n. 1. An engine that shuts suddenly or with a spring,
used for taking game; as a trap for foxes. A trap is a very different
thing from a snare; though the latter word may be used in a figurative
sense for a trap. 2. An engine for catching men. [Not used in the
U. States.] 3. An ambush; a stratagem; any device by which men
or other animals may be caught unawares. Let their table be made
a snare and a trap. Rom 11. 4. A play in which a ball is driven
with a stick. TRAP, n. In mineralogy, a name given to
rocks characterized by a columnar form, or whose strata or beds have
the form of steps or a series of stairs. Kirwan gives this name to two
families of basalt. It is now employed to designate a rock or aggregate
in which hornblend predominates, but it conveys no definite idea of any
one species; and under this term are comprehended hornblend, hornblend
slate, greenstone, greenstone slate, amygdaloid, basalt, wacky, clinkstone
porphyry, and perhaps hypersthene rock, augite rock, and some varieties
of sienite. TRAP, v.t. To catch in a trap; as, to trap foxes
or beaver. 1. To ensnare; to take by stratagem. I trapp'd the
foe. 2. To adorn; to dress with ornaments. [See Trappings.] [the
verb is little used.] TRAP, v.i. To set traps for game; as,
to trap for beaver.
trap
n 1: a device in which something (usually an animal) can be
caught and penned
2: drain consisting of a U-shaped section of drainpipe that
holds liquid and so prevents a return flow of sewer gas
3: something (often something deceptively attractive) that
catches you unawares; "the exam was full of trap questions";
"it was all a snare and delusion" [syn: trap, snare]
4: a device to hurl clay pigeons into the air for trapshooters
5: the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by
surprise [syn: ambush, ambuscade, lying in wait,
trap]
6: informal terms for the mouth [syn: trap, cakehole,
hole, maw, yap, gob]
7: a light two-wheeled carriage
8: a hazard on a golf course [syn: bunker, sand trap,
trap]
v 1: place in a confining or embarrassing position; "He was
trapped in a difficult situation" [syn: trap, pin down]
2: catch in or as if in a trap; "The men trap foxes" [syn:
trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, trammel]
3: hold or catch as if in a trap; "The gaps between the teeth
trap food particles"
4: to hold fast or prevent from moving; "The child was pinned
under the fallen tree" [syn: trap, pin, immobilize,
immobilise]
trap
O.E. tr?pe "snare, trap," from P.Gmc. *trap-, related to Gmc. words for
"stair, step, tread." Sense of "deceitful practice, trickery" is first
recorded 1681. Slang meaning "mouth" is from 1776. The verb is from 1393;
trap door is first attested 1385. Trappings "ornamental covering for
a horse" is 14c., from M.E. trappe "cloth for a horse," alteration of
M.Fr. drap "cloth" (see drape). Traps "drums, cymbals, bells, etc." (1925)
is from earlier trap drummer (1903) "street musician who plays a drum
and several other instruments at once," from traps "belongings" (1813),
shortened form of trappings.
trap I. nounEtymology: Middle English, from Old English treppe &
Anglo-French trape (of Germanic origin); akin to Middle Dutch
trappe trap, stair, Old English treppan to tread Date:
before 12th century 1. a device for taking game or other animals;
especially one that holds by springing shut suddenly 2.a. something by which one is caught or stopped unawares; also
a position or situation from which it is difficult or impossible to
escape b. a football play in which a defensive player is allowed
to cross the line of scrimmage and then is blocked from the side while
the ballcarrier advances through the spot vacated by the defensive player
c. the act or an instance of trapping the ball in soccer d.
a defensive maneuver in basketball in which two defenders converge quickly
on the ball handler to steal the ball or force a bad pass
3.a. a device for hurling clay pigeons into the air b.sand trapc. a piece of leather or section of interwoven leather
straps between the thumb and index finger of a baseball glove that forms
an extension of the pocket
4.slangmouth5. a light usually one-horse carriage
with springs 6. any of various devices for preventing passage of
something often while allowing other matter to proceed; especially
a device for drains or sewers consisting of a bend or partitioned chamber in
which the liquid forms a seal to prevent the passage of sewer gas 7.plural a group of percussion instruments (as a bass drum, snare
drums, and cymbals) used especially in a dance or jazz band 8.
an arrangement of rock strata that favors the accumulation of oil and gas
9.plural [speed trap] a measured stretch of a course
over which electronic timing devices measure the speed of a vehicle (as a
racing car or dragster)
II. verb (trapped; trapping)
Date: 14th century transitive verb1.a. to catch or take in or as if in a trap ;entrapb. to place in a restricted position ;confine
<trapped in the burning wreck>
2. to provide or set (a place) with traps 3.a.stop, hold <these mountains trap rains and fogs
generated over the ocean — American Guide Series: California>
b. to separate out (as water from steam)
4.a. to catch (as a baseball) immediately after a bounce
b. to block out (a defensive football player) by means of a trap
c. to stop and gain control of (a soccer ball) with a part of
the body other than the hands or arms
intransitive verb1. to engage in trapping animals
(as for furs) 2. to make a defensive trap in basketball
Synonyms:seecatch • trappernounIII. transitive verb (trapped; trapping)
Etymology: Middle English trappen, from trappe caparison,
from Anglo-French trape, probably from Medieval Latin trapus
cloth, by-form of Late Latin drappusDate: 14th century
to adorn with or as if with trappings IV. nounEtymology: Swedish trapp, from trappa stair, from
Middle Low German trappe; akin to Middle Dutch trappe stair
Date: 1794
traprock
trap 1. n. & v. --n. 1 a an enclosure or device, often baited, for catching animals, usu. by affording a way in but not a way out. b a device with bait for killing vermin, esp. =
MOUSETRAP. 2 a trick betraying a person into speech or an act (is this question a trap?). 3 an arrangement to catch an unsuspecting person, e.g. a speeding motorist. 4 a device for hurling an
object such as a clay pigeon into the air to be shot at. 5 a compartment from which a greyhound is released at the start of a race. 6 a shoe-shaped wooden device with a pivoted bar that sends a
ball from its heel into the air on being struck at the other end with a bat. 7 a a curve in a downpipe etc. that fills with liquid and forms a seal against the upward passage of gases. b a device
for preventing the passage of steam etc. 8 Golf a bunker. 9 a device allowing pigeons to enter but not leave a loft. 10 a two-wheeled carriage (a pony and trap). 11 = TRAPDOOR. 12 sl.
the mouth (esp. shut one's trap). 13 (esp. in pl.) colloq. a percussion instrument esp. in a jazz band. --v.tr. (trapped, trapping) 1 catch (an animal) in a trap. 2 catch or catch out (a
person) by means of a trick, plan, etc. 3 stop and retain in or as in a trap. 4 provide (a place) with traps. Phrases and idioms: trap-ball a game played with a trap (see sense 6 of
n.). trap-shooter a person who practises trap-shooting. trap-shooting the sport of shooting at objects released from a trap. Derivatives: traplike adj. Etymology: OE treppe,
træppe, rel. to MDu. trappe, med.L trappa, of uncert. orig. 2. v.tr. (trapped, trapping) (often foll. by out) 1 provide with trappings. 2 adorn. Etymology: obs.
trap (n.): ME f. OF drap: see DRAPE 3. n. (in full trap-rock) any dark-coloured igneous rock, fine-grained and columnar in structure, esp. basalt. Etymology: Sw. trapp f. trappa
stair, f. the often stairlike appearance of its outcroppings
trap
(traps, trapping, trapped)Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1. A trap is a device which is placed somewhere or a hole which is dug somewhere in
order to catch animals or birds.
N-COUNT
2. If a person traps animals or birds, he or she catches them using traps.
The locals were encouraged to trap and kill the birds.VERB: V n
3. A trap is a trick that is intended to catch or deceive someone.
He was trying to decide whether the question was some sort of a trap.N-COUNT
4. If you trap someone into doing or saying something, you trick them so that
they do or say it, although they did not want to.
Were you just trying to trap her into making some admission?...She had trapped him so neatly that he wanted to slap her.VERB: V n into -ing/n, V n
5. To trap someone, especially a criminal, means to capture them. (JOURNALISM)
The police knew that to trap the killer they had to play him at his own game...VERB: V n
6. A trap is an unpleasant situation that you cannot easily escape from.
The Government has found it's caught in a trap of its own making.N-COUNT: usu sing
7. If you are trapped somewhere, something falls onto you or blocks your way and prevents
you from moving or escaping.
The train was trapped underground by a fire...The light aircraft then cartwheeled, trapping both men...Until he saw the trapped wagons and animals, he did not realize the full extent of the
catastrophe.VERB: be V-ed, V n, V-ed
8. When something traps gas, water, or energy, it prevents it from escaping.
Wool traps your body heat, keeping the chill at bay...The volume of gas trapped on these surfaces can be considerable.VERB: V n, V-ed
9.
see alsotrapped, booby-trap, death trap, poverty trap
10. If someone falls into the trapof doing something, they think or
behave in a way which is not wise or sensible.
Many people fall into the trap of believing that home decorating must always be done on
a large scale...PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR of -ing
11. If someone tells you to shut your trap or keep your trap shut,
they are telling you rudely that you should be quiet and not say anything. (INFORMAL, RUDE)
= shut up
PHRASE: V inflects
Trap \Trap\, v. t. [AS. treppan. See Trap a snare.]
1. To catch in a trap or traps; as, to trap foxes.
2. Fig.: To insnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap. ``I
trapped the foe.'' --Dryden.
3. To provide with a trap; as, to trap a drain; to trap a
sewer pipe. See 4th Trap, 5.
Trap \Trap\, n. [OE. trappe, AS. treppe; akin to OD. trappe,
OHG. trapo; probably fr. the root of E. tramp, as that which
is trod upon: cf. F. trappe, which is trod upon: cf. F.
trappe, which perhaps influenced the English word.]
1. A machine or contrivance that shuts suddenly, as with a
spring, used for taking game or other animals; as, a trap
for foxes.
She would weep if that she saw a mouse Caught in a
trap. --Chaucer.
2. Fig.: A snare; an ambush; a stratagem; any device by which
one may be caught unawares.
Let their table be made a snare and a trap. --Rom.
xi. 9.
God and your majesty Protect mine innocence, or I
fall into The trap is laid for me! --Shak.
3. A wooden instrument shaped somewhat like a shoe, used in
the game of trapball. It consists of a pivoted arm on one
end of which is placed the ball to be thrown into the air
by striking the other end. Also, a machine for throwing
into the air glass balls, clay pigeons, etc., to be shot
at.
4. The game of trapball.
5. A bend, sag, or partitioned chamber, in a drain, soil
pipe, sewer, etc., arranged so that the liquid contents
form a seal which prevents passage of air or gas, but
permits the flow of liquids.
6. A place in a water pipe, pump, etc., where air accumulates
for want of an outlet.
7. A wagon, or other vehicle. [Colloq.] --Thackeray.
8. A kind of movable stepladder. --Knight.
Trap stairs, a staircase leading to a trapdoor.
Trap tree (Bot.) the jack; -- so called because it
furnishes a kind of birdlime. See 1st Jack.
Trap \Trap\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Trapped; p. pr. & vb. n.
Trapping.] [Akin to OE. trappe trappings, and perhaps from
an Old French word of the same origin as E. drab a kind of
cloth.]
To dress with ornaments; to adorn; -- said especially of
horses.
Steeds . . . that trapped were in steel all glittering.
--Chaucer.
To deck his hearse, and trap his tomb-black steed.
--Spenser.
There she found her palfrey trapped In purple blazoned
with armorial gold. --Tennyson.
Trap \Trap\, n. [Sw. trapp; akin to trappa stairs, Dan. trappe,
G. treppe, D. trap; -- so called because the rocks of this
class often occur in large, tabular masses, rising above one
another, like steps. See Tramp.] (Geol.)
An old term rather loosely used to designate various
dark-colored, heavy igneous rocks, including especially the
feldspathic-augitic rocks, basalt, dolerite, amygdaloid,
etc., but including also some kinds of diorite. Called also
trap rock.
Trap tufa, Trap tuff, a kind of fragmental rock made up
of fragments and earthy materials from trap rocks.
trap 1. n. A program interrupt, usually an interrupt caused by some
exceptional situation in the user program. In most cases, the OS
performs some action, then returns control to the program. 2. vi. To
cause a trap. "These instructions trap to the monitor." Also used
transitively to indicate the cause of the trap. "The monitor traps all
input/output instructions."
This term is associated with assembler programming (`interrupt' or
`exception' is more common among HLL programmers) and appears to be
fading into history among programmers as the role of assembler continues
to shrink. However, it is still important to computer architects and
systems hackers (see system, sense 1), who use it to distinguish
deterministically repeatable exceptions from timing-dependent ones (such
as I/O interrupts).
TRAP
(moqesh; thera, literally, "hunting," used metaphorically in Psalms and
Romans as "trap"): Any of the methods for taking birds; see SNARE; NET; GIN,
etc. It is probable that a trap was more particularly a hole in the ground
covered with twigs, concealed by leaves and baited with food. Such devices
were common in taking the largest animals and may have been used with birds
also. Trap is mentioned frequently in connection with snare and in such manner
as to indicate that they were different devices: "Know for a certainty that
Yahweh your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight;
but they shall be a snare and a trap unto you" (Jos 23:13). Another
such reference will be found in Ps 69:22:
"Let their table before them become a snare;
And when they are in peace, let it become a trap."
This is quoted in Ro 11:9: "Let their table be made a snare, and a
trap,
And a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them."
An instance where a trap alone is referred to can be found in Jer 5:26:
"They set a trap, they catch men." Isa 42:22 uses this expression,
"snared in holes." This might mean that a snare was placed in a hole, or
that the hole was the snare to lure bird or animal to its death. The former
proposition is sustained by Job, who says, "A noose is hid for him in the
ground, and a trap for him in the way" (18:10). This translation appears as
if it were reversed and should read, "A trap is hid for him in the ground
and a noose in the way."
Gene Stratton-Porter
trap
̈ɪtræp n.
1 snare, pitfall, gin, springe, deadfall, booby-trap: After the Pied Piper left, Hamelin
had no further need for rat traps.
2 trick, subterfuge, wile, ruse, stratagem, ambush, deception, device, artifice, ploy:
Oscar was the man for whom Esther set a neat trap.
3 mouth, Slang yap, gob, mush, face: Shut your trap or get out. --v.
4 snare, ensnare, entrap, catch, net: We dug a pit to trap the marauding lion.
5 imprison, confine, lock, hold, keep: The boy was trapped in the cave without a means
of escape.
6 trick, deceive, fool, dupe, beguile, inveigle: Esther finally trapped Oscar into
marrying her.
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