Trap
/træp/noun
A device or situation designed to catch or deceive someone or something.
Did you know?The word’s oldest English sense was a physical snare or device for catching animals, and its deeper roots are debated, which makes its sudden, spring-loaded history feel extra eerie.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
træppe
“a snare or trap for catching animals”
Middle English
ME
trappe
“a snare, device for catching; later also a trick or ambush”
Late Old English / Early Middle English
Germanic
*trap-
“a snare or device for catching (reconstructed; exact origin uncertain)”
14th-15th Century
English
trap
“a device to catch or confine; also a stratagem or deception”
Modern English
English
trap
“a device, trick, or situation that catches or ensnares”