trap

1 of 5

noun (1)

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
c
: 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
slang : mouth
5
: 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
traps plural : a group of percussion instruments (such 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
traps plural [speed trap] : a measured stretch of a course over which electronic timing devices measure the speed of a vehicle (such as a racing car or dragster)

trap

2 of 5

verb (1)

trapped; trapping; traps

transitive verb

1
a
: to catch or take in or as if in a trap : entrap
b
: 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 oceanAmer. Guide Series: Calif.
b
: to separate out (something, such as water from steam)
4
a
: to catch (something, such 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 verb

1
: to engage in trapping animals (as for furs)
2
: to make a defensive trap in basketball
trapper noun

trap

3 of 5

noun (2)

variants or trap music
: rap music typically featuring heavy bass, synthesized drums, and triplet-based (see triplet sense 3) rhythms
Trap, an Atlanta-born rap subgenre, is characterized by sharp snares and booming bass, as well as … minor-key melodies.Walter Thompson-Hernández
The start of the digital era saw the popularity of trap music taking over the underground rap scene …Kyann-Sian Williams
Just think of how many hip-hop trends, from the street-hardened fatalism and stark beats of trap music to the punchy, triplet flow spawned by Migos' experimentalism, have bubbled up from the underground, and eventually even altered the feel of mainstream pop.Jewly Hight
often used before another noun
Many trap artists utilize the triplet flow …Jay Quan
The series follows young adults on the … rap and trap music scene …Pablo Sandoval
With "Old Town Road," Lil Nas X twanged country tropes over a trap beatChris Kelly

trap

4 of 5

verb (2)

trapped; trapping; traps

transitive verb

: to adorn with or as if with trappings or decorations
The knightly housing's ample fold / Was velvet blue, and trapped with gold.Walter Scott

trap

5 of 5

noun (3)

plural traps
: traprock
often used before another noun
trap soils
trap basalt
Choose the Right Synonym for trap

catch, capture, trap, snare, entrap, ensnare, bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing.

catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor.

trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals
snared butterflies with a net

entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

Examples of trap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Price is deliciously diabolical in the film, which is full of literal and metaphorical trap doors and secret passageways. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 Until its final days in office, the Law and Justice government was preparing various legislative traps, including efforts to give more power to the country’s president, Andrzej Duda, a former Law and Justice member who usually remains aligned with the party. Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 This craft kit contains everything your kids need to make their own trap, complete with a leprechaun hat, rainbow and a pot of gold. Christopher Murray, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2024 But a full-court trap and foul game wasn’t fruitful enough. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 Ojai becomes the second U.S. city to ban ‘horrible, indiscriminate killing devices’: glue traps. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Shaw said that, according to the WILD-ONe database, 180 species of wildlife had been caught in glue traps and brought to animal hospitals. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Drivers who have been waiting to go through continue to wait and often try to escape this trap by suddenly pulling into the left lane almost hitting another car. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Choose a model that applies to your entity’s needs and use it to avoid the Achilles heel trap of misunderstanding the tools and processes for achieving the endgame of zero trust: protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your sensitive data. Ravi Ithal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Under the rubble In the initial weeks of Israel’s air campaign, the missing were mainly believed to be trapped, dead or alive, under rubble. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Dan and Connie were trapped in the burning house when Mark went into the home to bring them out to safety. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 According to emergency communications, people are trapped in Russells Point after multiple buildings collapsed. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 Social media has trapped an entire generation in a collective-action problem. Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024 Because of this, Bell felt trapped and kept the ongoing abuse, which occurred at Peck’s home, a secret for six months. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 That means the cold air trapped at the top of the planet, called the polar vortex, escapes its normal confines and drifts elsewhere, bringing short plunges of frigid air that temporarily counteracts the overall warming trend in places, Dr. Cohen said. Seth Borenstein, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 Slide the pillowcase over each fan blade to trap the dust that sits on the blades. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024 Ten-year-old Rocco Tano feels trapped in the impoverished rural town of Ortona and lost in the chaos of his family life. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English treppe & Anglo-French trape (of Germanic origin); akin to Middle Dutch trappe trap, stair, Old English treppan to tread

Noun (2)

probably after trap or trap house "building or apartment where illicit drugs are sold," from trap entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English trappen, from trappe caparison, from Anglo-French trape, probably from Medieval Latin trapus cloth, by-form of Late Latin drappus

Noun (3)

Swedish trapp, from trappa stair, from Middle Low German trappe; akin to Middle Dutch trappe stair

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

2003, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trap was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near trap

Cite this Entry

“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trap. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trap

1 of 2 noun
1
: a device for catching animals
especially : one that catches by springing shut suddenly
2
: something by which one is caught unawares
3
a
: a device for hurling clay pigeons into the air
b
4
: a light usually one-horse carriage with springs
5
: any of various devices for preventing passage of one thing often while allowing something else to proceed
especially : a device for drains or sewers consisting of a bend or chamber in which the liquid forms a seal to prevent the passage of sewer gas
6
plural : a group of percussion instruments (as in a dance band)

trap

2 of 2 verb
trapped; trapping
1
a
: to catch in or as if in a trap
trap a bird
b
: to place in a restricted position : confine
was almost trapped in the burning building
2
: to provide or set with a trap
3
: to engage in trapping animals (as for fur)
trapper noun

More from Merriam-Webster on trap

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