Mousetrap
/ˈmaʊsˌtræp/noun
A device used to catch or kill mice.
Did you know?The word is a straightforward compound, but its second element goes back to Old English *træp*/*træppe* “snare, trap,” from a Germanic root tied to catching and ensnaring—language built around capture has always carried a little menace.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
mūs
“mouse”
Old English
OE
træp
“snare, trap”
Middle English
ME
moustrap
“a trap for mice”
16th Century
English
mousetrap
“a device for catching mice”
Modern English
English
mousetrap
“a device used to catch or kill mice”