light trap

noun

1
: a device that allows movement of a sliding part or passage of a person (as into a darkroom) but excludes light
2
: a device for collecting or destroying insects that consists of a bright light in association with a trapping or killing medium

Examples of light trap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Indoors, opt for light traps, sticky traps, and bug catchers that can capture those who have broken in. Alora Bopray, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026 Charlotte Wright of the Wellcome Sanger Institute collects a moth at a light trap on an Alpine trail above Malles Venosta, Italy. Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025 Build or buy a light trap with an LED, blue or UV light to attract the bugs. Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025 Ohio State University Extension offers a simple design for light traps online, which may be handy for those who could never hurt a bug. Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025 In July and August, researchers set up light traps in Cors Goch Nature Reserve in Anglesey in search of a rare caddisfly species called Limnephilus tauricus, according to a Sept. 17 news release from Natural Resources Wales. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025 Alternatively, insect light traps or sticky traps can help capture and remove beetles. Marie Woodward, Hartford Courant, 9 Nov. 2024 Ohio State University Extension has a simple design for light traps, which may be handy for those who could never hurt a bug. Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of light trap was in 1882

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Cite this Entry

“Light trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light%20trap. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

light trap

noun
: a device for collecting or destroying insects by attracting them to a light and trapping or killing them

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