Minefield

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmaɪnˌfild/

Definitions

1. A location characterized by the presence of buried explosive devices, creating a lethal risk for anyone navigating the area
2. An environment laden with hidden explosive materials that can trigger unexpectedly, thereby endangering lives and property
3. A stretch of ground scattered with explosive devices that can detonate when disturbed ; a circumstance or setting fraught with concealed risks and difficulties

Etymology: A minefield is about as literal as compounds get: "mine" plus "field," a patch of ground where the explosive devices are the crop. The "mine" part once referred to an underground excavation, a tunnel dug to reach or undermine something, and only later came to mean a buried explosive. The image of a military engineer burrowing beneath a wall to bring it down is the link between the two senses. The compound has the same structure across much of Europe. German "Minenfeld," Dutch "mijnenveld," and Swedish "minfält" all combine the same two elements, and the parallel formations show that speakers of several related languages arrived at the same plain description independently, or borrowed it from one another as the idea spread. The figurative sense, a setting full of hidden dangers, grew naturally from the literal one. A diplomat walking into a tense negotiation or a newcomer entering a rivalry between colleagues is said to be crossing a minefield, because the trouble is unseen until someone steps on it.

Synonyms: hazard, danger zone

Antonyms: safe zone