Main Entry: ¹trap

Pronunciation: \ˈtrap\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English treppe & Anglo-French trape (of Germanic origin); akin to Middle Dutch trappe trap, stair, Old English treppan to tread

Date: before 12th century

1 : a device for taking game or other animals; especially : one that holds by springing shut suddenly
2 a : something by which one is caught or stopped unawares; also : a position or situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape b : a football play in which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and then is blocked from the side while the ballcarrier advances through the spot vacated by the defensive player c : the act or an instance of trapping the ball in soccer d : a defensive maneuver in basketball in which two defenders converge quickly on the ball handler to steal the ball or force a bad pass
3 a : a device for hurling clay pigeons into the air b : sand trap c : a piece of leather or section of interwoven leather straps between the thumb and index finger of a baseball glove that forms an extension of the pocket
4 slang : mouth
5 : a light usually one-horse carriage with springs
6 : any of various devices for preventing passage of something often while allowing other matter to proceed; especially : a device for drains or sewers consisting of a bend or partitioned chamber in which the liquid forms a seal to prevent the passage of sewer gas
7 plural : a group of percussion instruments (as a bass drum, snare drums, and cymbals) used especially in a dance or jazz band
8 : an arrangement of rock strata that favors the accumulation of oil and gas
9 plural [speed trap] : a measured stretch of a course over which electronic timing devices measure the speed of a vehicle (as a racing car or dragster)