trapdoor

noun

trap·​door ˈtrap-ˈdȯr 

: a lifting or sliding door covering an opening (as in a roof, ceiling, or floor)

Examples of trapdoor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the Olivia Tremor Control — the band that Hart led with Bill Doss, the fourth member of that initial E6 circle — were the timeless ones, floating on a higher plane of endlessly hummable melodies and musique-concrete trapdoors. —Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024

The moment Chris Martin fell through a trapdoor right in front of me at the #Coldplay concert tonight. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Nov. 2024

But instead of using chemicals, public key cryptography uses mathematical puzzles called trapdoor functions. —John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 15 Nov. 2024

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin took a nasty fall through a trapdoor while performing with his band in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday. —Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing trapdoor

• trapdoor spider

Kids Definition

trapdoor

noun

trap·​door ˈtrap-ˈdō(ə)r 

-ˈdȯ(ə)r

: a lifting or sliding door covering or hiding an opening in a roof, ceiling, or floor