Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense traps, present participle trapping, past tense, past participle trapped
1. countable noun
A trap is a device which is placed somewhere or a hole which is dug somewhere in order to catch animals or birds.
2. verb
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 noun]
Synonyms: catch, snare, ensnare, entrap More Synonyms of trap
3. countable noun
A trap is a trick that is intended to catch or deceive someone.
He failed to keep a rendezvous after sensing a police trap.
He was trying to decide whether the question was some sort of a trap.
Synonyms: trick, set-up [informal], deception, ploy More Synonyms of trap
4. verb
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? [VERB noun + into]
She had trapped him so neatly that he wanted to scream at her. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: trick, fool, cheat, lure More Synonyms of trap
5. verb
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 noun]
The couple set up a 24-hour security camera to trap the vandal scratching their car. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: capture, catch, arrest, seize More Synonyms of trap
6. countable noun [usually singular]
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.
Synonyms: problem, snare, prison, cage More Synonyms of trap
7. verb
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. [beVERB-ed]
The light aircraft then cartwheeled, trapping both men. [VERB noun]
He saw trapped wagons and animals. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: imprison, confine, cut off, close in More Synonyms of trap
8. verb
When something traps gas, water, or energy, it prevents it from escaping.
Wool traps your body heat, keeping the chill at bay. [VERB noun]
The volume of gas trapped on these surfaces can be considerable. [VERB-ed]
9. countable noun
A trap is a light carriage with two wheels pulled by horses in which people used to travel.
10. See also booby-trap, death trap, poverty trap, trapped
11.
See to fall into the trap
12.
See shut one's trap/keep one's trap shut
More Synonyms of trap
trap in British English1
(træp)
noun
1.
a mechanical device or enclosed place or pit in which something, esp an animal, is caught or penned
2.
any device or plan for tricking a person or thing into being caught unawares
3.
anything resembling a trap or prison
4.
a fitting for a pipe in the form of a U-shaped or S-shaped bend that contains standing water to prevent the passage of gases
5.
any similar device
6.
a device that hurls clay pigeons into the air to be fired at by trapshooters
7.
any one of a line of boxlike stalls in which greyhounds are enclosed before the start of a race
8. trapdoor
9.
a light two-wheeled carriage
10. a slang word for mouth
11. golf
an obstacle or hazard, esp a bunker
12. (plural) jazz slang
percussion instruments
13. (usually plural) Australian obsolete, slang
a police officer
verbWord forms: traps, trapping or trapped
14. (transitive)
to catch, take, or pen in or as if in a trap; entrap
15. (transitive)
to ensnare by trickery; trick
16. (transitive)
to provide (a pipe) with a trap
17.
to set traps in (a place), esp for animals
Derived forms
traplike (ˈtrapˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English træppe; related to Middle Low German trappe, Medieval Latin trappa
trap in British English2
(træp)
noun
1. an obsolete word for trappings (sense 2)
verbWord forms: traps, trapping or trapped
2. (transitive; often foll byout)
to dress or adorn
Word origin
C11: probably from Old French drap cloth
trap in British English3
(træp) or traprock (ˈtræpˌrɒk)
noun
1.
any fine-grained often columnar dark igneous rock, esp basalt
2.
any rock in which oil or gas has accumulated
Word origin
C18: from Swedish trappa stair (from its steplike formation); see trap1
trap in American English1
(træp)
noun
1.
any device for catching animals, as one that snaps shut tightly when stepped on, or a pitfall; gin, snare, etc.
2.
any stratagem or ambush designed to catch or trick unsuspecting persons
3.
any of various devices for preventing the escape of gas, offensive odors, etc.; specif., a U-shaped or S-shaped part of a drainpipe, in which standing water seals off sewer gas
4.
an apparatus for throwing disks into the air to be shot at in trapshooting
5.
a light, two-wheeled carriage with springs
6.
trapdoor
7. US; [pl.]
a.
a set of various percussion instruments, as cymbals, blocks, and bells, used with a set of drums, as in a jazz band
b.
these percussion instruments and the set of drums considered as a unit
8. Slang
the mouth, specif. as the organ of speech
9. Golf
sand trap
verb transitiveWord forms: trapped or ˈtrapping
10.
to catch in or as in a trap; entrap
11.
to hold back or seal off by a trap
12.
to furnish with a trap or traps
13. US
to catch (a batted ball in baseball or a thrown ball in football) just as it rebounds from the ground rather than just before it strikes the ground
verb intransitive
14.
to set traps for game
15. US
to trap animals, esp. for their furs
SIMILAR WORDS: catch
SYNONYMY NOTE: trap1, as applied to a device for capturing animals, specif. suggests a snapping deviceworked by a spring, , pitfall, a concealed pit with a collapsible cover, and , snare, a noose which jerks tight upon the release of a trigger; in extended senses, thesewords apply to any danger into which unsuspecting or unwary persons may fall, , trap1 specifically suggesting a deliberate stratagem or ambush [a speed trap], pitfall, a concealed danger, source of error, etc. [the pitfalls of the law], and snare, enticement and entanglement [the snares of love]
Word origin
ME trappe < OE træppe, akin to treppan, to step, Ger treppe, stairway < IE *dreb-, to run, step, trip (var. of base *drā-) > Pol drabina, ladder
trap in American English2
(træp)
noun
1.
any of several dark-colored, usually fine-grained, extrusive igneous rocks; esp., such a rock, as basalt, used in road making
2.
a geologic structure forming a reservoir enclosing an accumulation of oil or gas
Word origin
Swed trapp < trappa, stair (akin to trap1), in reference to its appearance
trap in American English3
(træp)
verb transitiveWord forms: trapped or ˈtrapping
1.
to cover, equip, or adorn with trappings; caparison
noun
2. Obsolete
an ornamental covering for a horse
3. [pl.]; Informal, Obsolete
a person's clothes, personal belongings, etc.
Word origin
ME trappen < trappe, trappings < OFr drap, cloth: see drape
trap in the Oil and Gas Industry
(træp)
Word forms: (regular plural) traps
noun
(Extractive engineering: Petroleum geology)
A trap is an arrangement of rocks which can contain hydrocarbons, and is sealed by an impermeable formation which the hydrocarbons will not pass through.
A trap is a natural configuration of layers of rock where non-porous or impermeable rocksact as a barrier, blocking the natural upward flow of hydrocarbons.
A trap consists of a layer of rock that oil and gas cannot penetrate above a porous, permeablelayer that holds the oil and gas.
A trap is an arrangement of rocks which can contain hydrocarbons, and is sealed by an impermeableformation which the hydrocarbons will not pass through.
anticlinal trap, fault trap, salt dome trap, stratigraphic trap, unconformity trap
More idioms containing
trap
fall into the trap of doing something
Examples of 'trap' in a sentence
trap
The secret police are out to trap you and people are scared to socialise with you.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But the leopard cut off its escape before trapping it in her claws and tucking in.
The Sun (2017)
We need comfort to replenish, but it can be a trap.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
More than one million people remain trapped in Mosul.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Farage can spot a trap.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is blasted at the book and as it passes through, some of it bounces off the air pockets trapped between the pages.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The fog has emerged on clear, calm and chilly nights, with the stagnant air trapping pollution.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The hope of a shared future disappears like a body through a trap door.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The padding is buckled and you could easily trap your foot where the rails are not covered.
The Sun (2008)
They shut the trap door behind me.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He set a trap with himself as the bait.
Diane Purkiss The English Civil War: A People's History (2006)
These were people trapped by the system rather than being supported by the system.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This could be because it is trapped somewhere.
The Sun (2010)
Shale gas is natural gas that lies trapped inside rock formations.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
How much trapped gas would they release?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Try not to trap any air inside while filling and shaping them.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
His case is an insult to thousands trapped by cameras at half his speed.
The Sun (2006)
Those who suffer from the effects of stress can become trapped in a circle of fear.
Mansfield, Patricia Why Am I Afraid to be Assertive? (1994)
The photo is one of dozens in an online series showing animals trapped in unlikely places.
The Sun (2011)
It is thought the hapless cat had been trying to escape after becoming trapped in a sewer.
The Sun (2016)
He had survived by devising a trap to catch mountain rats.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Please shut your trap until you know.
The Sun (2015)
But if you are the kind of person who does those kind of things then you could get trapped very easily.
The Sun (2010)
White can set a trap here.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Her body is trapping her.
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
trap
British English: trap /træp/ NOUN
A trap is a device which is placed somewhere or a hole which is dug somewhere in order to catch animals or birds.
Nathan's dog got caught in a trap.
American English: trap
Arabic: مِصْيَدَة
Brazilian Portuguese: armadilha
Chinese: 陷阱
Croatian: klopka
Czech: past
Danish: fælde
Dutch: val valstrik
European Spanish: trampa caza
Finnish: ansa
French: piège
German: Falle
Greek: παγίδα
Italian: trappola
Japanese: わな
Korean: 올가미
Norwegian: felle
Polish: pułapka
European Portuguese: armadilha
Romanian: capcană
Russian: ловушка
Latin American Spanish: trampa
Swedish: fälla fallgrop
Thai: กับดัก
Turkish: tuzak
Ukrainian: пастка
Vietnamese: cái bẫy
British English: trap VERB
If a person traps animals or birds, he or she catches them using traps.
The locals were encouraged to trap and kill the birds.
American English: trap
Brazilian Portuguese: pegar numa armadilha
Chinese: 设陷阱捕捉
European Spanish: atrapar
French: prendre au piège
German: mit einer Falle fangen
Italian: prendere in trappola
Japanese: わなで捕らえる
Korean: 덫을 놓아 잡다
European Portuguese: pegar numa armadilha
Latin American Spanish: atrapar
All related terms of 'trap'
fall trap
a trap into which animals fall
live trap
a box constructed to trap an animal without injuring it
rat trap
a device for catching rats
sand trap
a pit or trench filled with sand , serving as a hazard on a golf course
tank trap
any obstacle , such as a number of concrete stumps set in the ground, designed to stop a military tank
trap rock
→ trap 2
booby trap
A booby-trap is something such as a bomb which is hidden or disguised and which causes death or injury when it is touched .
death trap
If you say that a place or vehicle is a death trap , you mean it is in such bad condition that it might cause someone's death.
fault trap
A fault trap is a hydrocarbon trap in which closure is caused by a geological fault.
light trap
any mechanical arrangement that allows some form of movement to take place while excluding light, such as a light-proof door or the lips of a film cassette
radar trap
a section of road on which the police check the speed of vehicles, often using radar
speed trap
a section of road on which the police check the speed of vehicles, often using radar
steam trap
a device in a steam pipe that collects and discharges condensed water
steel trap
a trap for catching animals, consisting of spring-operated steel jaws with sharp projections that clamp shut
stench trap
a trap in a sewer that by means of a water seal prevents the upward passage of foul-smelling gases
stink trap
a trap in a sewer that by means of a water seal prevents the upward passage of foul-smelling gases
thirst trap
an action, image , or statement designed to solicit sexual attention
water trap
a pond , stream , or the like serving as a trap in a golf course
poverty trap
If someone is in a poverty trap , they are very poor but cannot improve their income because the money they get from the government decreases as the money they earn increases.
tourist trap
a place that attracts a lot of tourists and where food, drink, entertainment , etc is more expensive than normal
anticlinal trap
An anticlinal trap is a structural trap which is closed by an anticline (= an arch-shaped fold in rock, in which rock layers are upwardly convex ).
salt dome trap
A salt dome trap is an area where oil has been trapped underground by salt pushing upward .
stratigraphic trap
A stratigraphic trap is a rock formation that contains hydrocarbons and is sealed by other rock formations.
unconformity trap
An unconformity trap is a hydrocarbon trap where the closure is made by an unconformity (= a formation of rock layers which represents a gap in the geological record).
step cut
a cut consisting of a rectangular girdle , often faceted , with two or more tiers of narrow facets running parallel to the girdle on both the crown and the pavilion : used esp. in stones in which color is more important than brilliance
trap-door spider
any of various spiders of the family Ctenizidae that construct a silk-lined hole in the ground closed by a hinged door of earth and silk
trapdoor
A trapdoor is a small horizontal door in a floor or a ceiling.
lobster pot
A lobster pot is a trap used for catching lobsters. It is in the shape of a basket.
to fall into the trap
If someone falls into the trap of doing something, they think or behave in a way which is not wise or sensible .
shut one's trap/keep one's trap shut
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.
bunker
A bunker is a place, usually underground, that has been built with strong walls to protect it against heavy gunfire and bombing .
fall into the trap of doing something
to make a very common mistake , or one that is very easy to make