Trap

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /tɹæp/

Definitions

1. A device or scheme designed to catch, deceive, or surprise someone or something unexpectedly
2. A mechanism intended to ensnare or mislead an entity while providing an element of surprise or unanticipated capture
3. An apparatus created for the purpose of capturing or tricking an individual or object, often yielding unexpected outcomes

Etymology: The noun "trap" for a device to catch animals goes back to Old English "træppe," meaning a snare, and it is tied to the idea of stepping. The Old English verb "træppan" meant "to step, tread," and the snare was named for the thing it caught on: the place where an animal would put its foot. Dutch "trap" still means "step" or "stair," and German "Treppe" means "staircase," so the same root survives in ordinary words for climbing. The verb "to trap," meaning to catch or ensnare, grew from the noun, and the old Germanic root for stepping gave English a word for a device that lies in wait under the foot. Modern senses, such as a trap in a drain or a trap in a golf course, extend the basic idea of something that catches what passes over it.

Synonyms: snare, catch, confinement

Antonyms: release, freedom