trap
[t̠ɹ̠̊˔æp]
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.33 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense; a snare.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense; a snare.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense; a snare.
Countable; Derogatory; Informal; Offensive; Slang; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "I put down some traps in my apartment to try and deal with the mouse problem."
- "The Russian bear has always been eager to stick his paw in Latin American waters. Now we've got him in a trap, let's take his leg off right up to his testicles. On second thought, let's take off his testicles, too."
- "Unfortunately she fell into the trap of confusing biology with destiny."
- "God and your majesty / Protect mine innocence, or I fall into / The trap is laid for me!"
- "trap street"
- "And trust me you don't want to see a trap ether. I like my girls without a ding-a-ling."
Etymology
From Middle English trappe, from Old English træppe, treppe (“trap, snare”) (also in betræppan (“to trap”)) from Proto-West Germanic *trappjā (“trap, snare”), from Proto-West Germanic *trappjan (“to step”), from Proto-Germanic *trapjaną (“to tread, stamp”), from Proto-Indo-European *drebʰ- (“to step, trip, trample”). Cognate with Dutch trap (“step, stair”), German Low German Trapp (“step, stair”). Akin also to West Frisian traap (“stepping, treading, stairway”), German Treppe (“step, stair”), Old English træppan (“to step, tread”). Connection to "step" is "that upon which one steps". French trappe and Spanish trampa are ultimately borrowings from Germanic.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: [t̠ɹ̠̊˔æp]
Usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Derogatory
- Informal
- Offensive
- Slang
- Archaic
- American usage