I. ˈtrap noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English treppe & Anglo-French trape (of Germanic origin); akin to Middle Dutch trappe trap, stair, Old English treppan to tread
Date: before 12th century
1. : a device for taking game or other animals ; especially : one that holds by springing shut suddenly
2.
a. : something by which one is caught or stopped unawares ; also : a position or situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape
b. : a football play in which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and then is blocked from the side while the ballcarrier advances through the spot vacated by the defensive player
c. : the act or an instance of trapping the ball in soccer
d. : a defensive maneuver in basketball in which two defenders converge quickly on the ball handler to steal the ball or force a bad pass
3.
a. : a device for hurling clay pigeons into the air
b. : sand trap
c. : a piece of leather or section of interwoven leather straps between the thumb and index finger of a baseball glove that forms an extension of the pocket
4. slang : mouth
5. : a light usually one-horse carriage with springs
6. : any of various devices for preventing passage of something often while allowing other matter to proceed ; especially : a device for drains or sewers consisting of a bend or partitioned chamber in which the liquid forms a seal to prevent the passage of sewer gas
7. plural : a group of percussion instruments (as a bass drum, snare drums, and cymbals) used especially in a dance or jazz band
8. : an arrangement of rock strata that favors the accumulation of oil and gas
9. plural
[ speed trap ]
: a measured stretch of a course over which electronic timing devices measure the speed of a vehicle (as a racing car or dragster)
II. verb
( trapped ; trap·ping )
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1.
a. : to catch or take in or as if in a trap : entrap
b. : to place in a restricted position : confine
trapped in the burning wreck
2. : to provide or set (a place) with traps
3.
a. : stop , hold
these mountains trap rains and fogs generated over the ocean — American Guide Series: California
b. : to separate out (as water from steam)
4.
a. : to catch (as a baseball) immediately after a bounce
b. : to block out (a defensive football player) by means of a trap
c. : to stop and gain control of (a soccer ball) with a part of the body other than the hands or arms
intransitive verb
1. : to engage in trapping animals (as for furs)
2. : to make a defensive trap in basketball
Synonyms: see catch
• trap·per noun
III. transitive verb
( trapped ; trap·ping )
Etymology: Middle English trappen, from trappe caparison, from Anglo-French trape, probably from Medieval Latin trapus cloth, by-form of Late Latin drappus
Date: 14th century
: to adorn with or as if with trappings
IV. noun
Etymology: Swedish trapp, from trappa stair, from Middle Low German trappe; akin to Middle Dutch trappe stair
Date: 1794
: traprock