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noun

Trap n. (Geol.) An old term rather loosely used to designate various dark-colored, heavy igneous rocks, including especially the feldspathic-augitic rocks, basalt, dolerite, amygdaloid, etc., but including also some kinds of diorite. Called also trap rock.

Trap tufa, Trap tuff, a kind of fragmental rock made up of fragments and earthy materials from trap rocks.

Trap n.

A machine or contrivance that shuts suddenly, as with a spring, used for taking game or other animals; as, a trap for foxes. "She would weep if that she saw a mouse Caught in a trap."

Fig.: A snare; an ambush; a stratagem; any device by which one may be caught unawares. "Let their table be made a snare and a trap." "God and your majesty Protect mine innocence, or I fall into The trap is laid for me!"

A wooden instrument shaped somewhat like a shoe, used in the game of trapball. It consists of a pivoted arm on one end of which is placed the ball to be thrown into the air by striking the other end. Also, a machine for throwing into the air glass balls, clay pigeons, etc., to be shot at.

The game of trapball.

A bend, sag, or partitioned chamber, in a drain, soil pipe, sewer, etc., arranged so that the liquid contents form a seal which prevents passage of air or gas, but permits the flow of liquids.

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

A wagon, or other vehicle. (Colloq.)

A kind of movable stepladder.

Trap stairs, a staircase leading to a trapdoor.

Trap tree (Bot.) the jack; so called because it furnishes a kind of birdlime. See 1st Jack.

verb

Trap v. t. (past & past part. trapped; pres. part. trapping) To dress with ornaments; to adorn; said especially of horses. "Steeds... that trapped were in steel all glittering." "To deck his hearse, and trap his tomb-black steed." "There she found her palfrey trapped In purple blazoned with armorial gold."

Trap v. t.

To catch in a trap or traps; as, to trap foxes.

Fig.: To insnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap. "I trapped the foe."

To provide with a trap; as, to trap a drain; to trap a sewer pipe. See 4th Trap, 5.

Trap v. i. To set traps for game; to make a business of trapping game; as, to trap for beaver.

adjective

Trap adj. Of or pertaining to trap rock; as, a trap dike.

See images of 'Trap'

Etymology of 'Trap'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Trap" Quotes from Famous Books

... Fortunately, my brother James was at home on this occasion, and as the evening grew old and the Indians, grouped together around the fire, became more and more irresponsible, he devised a plan for our safety. Our attic was finished, and its sole entrance was by a ladder through a trap-door. At James's whispered command my sister Eleanor slipped up into the attic, and from the back window let down a rope, to which he tied all the weapons we had—his gun and several axes. These Eleanor drew up and concealed in one of the bunks. My brother then directed that as quietly ...

— Children's Literature - A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes • Charles Madison Curry

... best to connect an open, or surface drain, with a covered drain, it will add much to its security against silt and other obstructions, to interpose a trap or silt-basin at the junction, and thus allow the water to pass off comparatively clean. Where, however, there is a large flow of water into a basin, it will be kept so much in motion as to carry along with it a large amount of earth, and thus endanger the drain below, ...

— Farm drainage • Henry Flagg French

... row of fine, crisp heads of lettuce, which were the pride of our gardening, and out of which he would from day to day select for his table just the plants we had marked for ours. He also nibbled our young beans; and so at last we were reluctantly obliged to let John Gardiner set a trap for him. Poor old simple- minded hermit, he was too artless for this world! He was caught at the very first snap, and found dead in the trap,—the agitation and distress having broken his poor woodland heart, and killed him. We were grieved to the very soul when the poor fat old fellow was ...

— Queer Little Folks • Harriet Beecher Stowe

... alone in the morning mist he came upon the Boers hiding on the banks of the river, toward which the English were even then advancing. The Boers were moving all about him, and cut him off from his own side. He had to choose between abandoning the English to the trap or signalling to them, and so exposing himself to capture. With the red kerchief the scouts carried for that purpose he wigwagged to the approaching soldiers to turn back, that the enemy were awaiting them. But the column, which ...

— Real Soldiers of Fortune • Richard Harding Davis

... said Coleman. "I could hardly believe my senses, when the minister at Athens told me that, you all had ventured into such a trap, and there is no doubt but what you can be glad that you ...

— Active Service • Stephen Crane

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