leghold trap

noun

: a jawed usually steel trap that is used to hold a wild mammal and operates by springing closed and clamping onto the leg of the animal that steps on it

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leghold trap was in 1941

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Cite this Entry

“Leghold trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leghold%20trap. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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