trap

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.

A trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense; a snare.

(by extension, cartography, law, technical) A (usually fictional) location or feature originally added to a map to detect plagiarism and copyright violations by other map makers or map services.

(slang, informal, usually offensive, usually derogatory) Someone with male-typical anatomy who passes as female.

(slang, informal, usually considered offensive) A fictional character from anime, or related media, who is coded as or has qualities typically associated with a gender other than the character's ostensible gender; otokonoko, josou.

(computing) An exception generated by the processor or by an external event.

Any device used to hold and suddenly release an object.

A covering over a hole or opening; a trapdoor.

A bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe arranged so that the liquid contents form a seal which prevents the escape of noxious gases, but permits the flow of liquids.

A place in a water pipe, pump, etc., where air accumulates for lack of an outlet.

(geology) A geological structure that creates a petroleum reservoir.

A wooden instrument shaped somewhat like a shoe, used in the game of trapball.

The game of trapball itself.

(US, slang, African-American Vernacular, also attributive) A vehicle, residential building, or sidewalk corner where drugs are manufactured, packaged, or sold.

(US, slang, African-American Vernacular, also attributive) An area, especially of a city, with a low level of opportunity and a high level of poverty and crime; a ghetto; a hood.

(music, uncountable) A genre of hip-hop music, with half-time drums and heavy sub-bass.

(aviation, military, slang) A successful landing on an aircraft carrier using the carrier's arresting gear.

(slang) A person's mouth.

(slang) Synonym of vagina.

(slang) A cubicle (in a public toilet).

(gun sports) Trapshooting.

(slang, uncountable) The money earned by a prostitute for a pimp.

A dark coloured igneous rock, now used to designate any non-granitic igneous rock; trap rock.

(slang, bodybuilding, anatomy) The trapezius muscle.

(medicine) Initialism of twin reversed arterial perfusion.

(US, legislation) Acronym of targeted regulation of abortion providers.

(employment law) Acronym of training-repayment-agreement provision.

(now rare) A kind of movable stepladder or set of stairs.

(historical) A light two-wheeled carriage with springs.

(slang, archaic) A policeman.

(in the plural, archaic) Belongings.

(Australia, slang, historical) A mining license inspector during the Australian gold rush.

verb

(transitive) To physically capture, to catch in a trap or traps, or something like a trap.

(transitive) To ensnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap.

(transitive) To provide with a trap.

(intransitive) To set traps for game; to make a business of trapping game; to travel for the purpose of trapping.

(aviation, military, slang, intransitive) To successfully land an aircraft on an aircraft carrier using the carrier's arresting gear.

(intransitive) To leave suddenly, to flee.

(computing, intransitive) To capture (e.g. an error) in order to handle or process it.

(slang, informal, sometimes offensive) Of a 'trap': to trick a (heterosexual) man into having sex, by appearing to be a woman.

(intransitive, African-American Vernacular, slang) To sell illegal drugs, especially in a public area.

To dress with ornaments; to adorn (especially said of horses).

(mining, dated) To attend to and open and close a (trap-)door.

Synonyms for trap

snarev entrapv ensnarev ambushn pitfalln ambuscaden rattrapn decoyn flytrapn mousetrapn deathtrapn lurev firetrapn springe catchv

Synonyms & related words for trap

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of trap — including snare, entrap, ensnare, ambush, pitfall, ambuscade. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to trap

Explore words related to trap — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include trappable, trapan, mantrap, insnare, ensnarement, ensnarer, immobilize, baited. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for trap

Common synonyms for trap include snare, entrap, ensnare, ambush, pitfall, ambuscade, rattrap, decoy — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.