ə̇n.ˈtrap, en.- transitive verb
Etymology: Middle French entraper, from en- en- (I) + trape trap — more at trap
1.
a. : to catch in or as if in a trap
the pit had entrapped big beetles — William Beebe
entrapped by falling timbers
entrapped by ice floes
b. : to capture and hold (a substance)
a system for entrapping the furnace fumes as a safety measure — Monsanto Magazine
wool's tendency to produce lofty fabrics which entrap air — G.E.Hopkins
2. : to lure or maneuver into a difficult, hopeless, or compromising situation : bring into one's power by stratagem : ensnare
it was now too late to entrap and annihilate the Chinese armies — Owen & Eleanor Lattimore
some women get married easily; but others … are driven to every possible trick … to entrap some man — G.B.Shaw
specifically : to lure into an erroneous, contradictory, or compromising statement
the whole intent of the questioning was to entrap the defendant
entrapped him into making a very damaging admission
Synonyms: see catch