Caltraps

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device consisting of a spiked object used to impede the movement of animals or vehicles
2. Often used by military forces or law enforcement to cause injuries or disable pursuers
3. These objects are designed to puncture tires or injure feet, creating obstacles during pursuits or escapes

Etymology: "Caltrap" is the singular form, and "caltraps" is its plural, so the word names the spiked metal devices as a group. A caltrop is a small iron object built so that, whichever way it lands, one of its four spikes points upward, and scattering them on the ground was a way to slow or injure horses and foot soldiers. The plural is the form most readers will meet, and it is the form the noun takes in use.