26984 words

traps

14 definitions • 18 examples
1
a device or hole for catching animals or people and preventing their escape:

Examples:

be caught in a trap The fox got its foot caught in a trap.
2
a dangerous or unpleasant situation which you have got into and from which it is difficult or impossible to escape:

Examples:

The undercover agents went to the rendezvous knowing that it might be a trap.
fall into a trap She's too smart to fall into the trap of working without pay.
3
a mouth:

Examples:

shut your trap Oh, shut your trap (= stop talking) - I don't want to hear it anymore!
keep your trap shut It's a secret, so keep your trap shut (= don't say anything about it).
4
a small, light carriage (= a vehicle pulled by horses, used especially in the past) with two wheels, pulled by one horse:

Examples:

He offered to give his friend a lift in his trap.
pony and trap I was met at the station in a pony and trap and taken to my new employer.
horse and trap The doctor came in a horse and trap in the late 19th century but later had a chauffeur driven car.
5
in American football, a play (= action) in which a defensive player (= one trying to stop the opponents from scoring) is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage (= the line on which the ball is positioned at the beginning of play) and is then blocked so that the player carrying the ball can go through the gap:

Examples:

Houston kept gaining big yardage with a trap.
They opened a hole for the fullback to make a 23-yard gain on a trap play.
6
short for
7
to catch an animal in a trap:

Examples:

8
to keep something such as heat or water in one place, especially because it is useful:

Examples:

A greenhouse stays warm because the glass traps the heat of the sun.
9
If someone or something is trapped, that person or thing is unable to move or escape from a place or situation:

Examples:

The building collapsed and we were trapped.
10
to be forced or tricked into doing something that you do not want to do:

Examples:

In his book, Holden speculates that Shakespeare was an unfaithful husband who was trapped into marriage.
11
to bring a football that is moving or falling through the air under control using your feet:

Examples:

In training, we get players to practise trapping the ball from awkward angles.
12
a device or hole for catching and holding things:

Examples:

A bear was caught in the trap.
13
A trap is also a bad situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape:

Examples:

Simply by answering the letter, Robin had fallen into a trap.
14
a mouth:

Examples:

Oh, shut your trap!

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