- trap */*/
- I UK [træp] / US
noun [countable]
Word forms "trap":
singular trap plural traps1) a piece of equipment used for catching animalsset/lay a trap (= make it ready to be used):We set traps in the attic for the mice.
2) a bad or unpleasant situation that is difficult to change or escape fromcaught in a trap (of something):He was caught in a trap of poverty.
3) a trick that is designed to catch someone or to make them do or say something that they did not want to do or sayThe platoon was lured into a trap by guerrilla soldiers.
We didn't know that we were walking straight into a trap.
4) a mistake or problem that you should try to avoidfall into the trap of (doing) something:I fell into the trap of putting work before family.
5) a type of carriage pulled by a horse•See:
II UK [træp] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "trap":
present tense I/you/we/they trap he/she/it traps present participle trapping past tense trapped past participle trapped1)a) [usually passive] to prevent someone from leaving a place, especially a dangerous placeBoth men were trapped inside the burning car.
The bomb exploded, trapping victims in the building.
b) to prevent a part of someone's body from moving by pressing it hardHis legs were trapped under fallen rocks.
2) [always passive] to be unable to change a bad situation or way of thinkingI felt trapped by my marriage.
They are trapped in a cycle of violence.
3)a) to catch someone such as a criminal, especially by forcing them into a place that they cannot escape fromPolice officers trapped both suspects before they left the bank.
b) to catch an animal using a trap4) to trick someone in order to make them do or say something that they did not want to do or saytrap someone into (doing) something:I was trapped into admitting I had lied.
5) to keep something such as air, gas, or energy in a particular placeCarbon dioxide causes the Earth's atmosphere to trap heat.
English dictionary. 2014.