A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body.
trap — Definition and meaning
• A trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense; a snare.
• A (usually fictional) location or feature originally added to a map to detect plagiarism and copyright violations by other map makers or map services.
• Someone with male-typical anatomy who passes as female.
• A fictional character from anime, or related media, who is coded as or has qualities typically associated with a gender other than the character's ostensible gender; otokonoko, josou.
• An exception generated by the processor or by an external event.
• Any device used to hold and suddenly release an object.
• A covering over a hole or opening; a trapdoor.
• A kind of movable stepladder or set of stairs.
• A bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe arranged so that the liquid contents form a seal which prevents the escape of noxious gases, but permits the flow of liquids. A place in a water pipe, pump, etc., where air accumulates for lack of an outlet. A geological structure that creates a petroleum reservoir.
• A place in a water pipe, pump, etc., where air accumulates for lack of an outlet.
• A geological structure that creates a petroleum reservoir.
• A wooden instrument shaped somewhat like a shoe, used in the game of trapball. The game of trapball itself.
• The game of trapball itself.
• A vehicle, residential building, or sidewalk corner where drugs are manufactured, packaged, or sold.
• An area, especially of a city, with a low level of opportunity and a high level of poverty and crime; a ghetto; a hood.
• A genre of hip-hop music, with half-time drums and heavy sub-bass.
• A successful landing on an aircraft carrier using the carrier's arresting gear.
• A light two-wheeled carriage with springs.
• A person's mouth.
• Synonym of vagina.
• A policeman.
• Belongings.
• A cubicle (in a public toilet).
• Trapshooting.
• A mining license inspector during the Australian gold rush.
• The money earned by a prostitute for a pimp.
(Verb) To physically capture, to catch in a trap or traps, or something like a trap.
• To ensnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap.
• To provide with a trap.
• To set traps for game; to make a business of trapping game; to travel for the purpose of trapping.
• To successfully land an aircraft on an aircraft carrier using the carrier's arresting gear.
• To leave suddenly, to flee.
• To capture (e.g. an error) in order to handle or process it.
• To attend to and open and close a (trap-)door.
• Of a 'trap': to trick a (heterosexual) man into having sex, by appearing to be a woman.
• To sell illegal drugs, especially in a public area.
(Noun) A dark coloured igneous rock; any nongranitic igneous rock.
(Verb) To dress with ornaments; to adorn (especially said of horses).
(Noun) The trapezius muscle.
The importance of trap
trap appears in U.S. legal practice across multiple practice areas. Knowing what it means — and when it applies — can determine the outcome of motions, filings, and negotiations. For non-lawyers, the value of looking up a precise definition is that legal terms often carry meanings that differ from everyday usage; relying on the common meaning can lead to costly missteps.
How trap is applied
In practice, trap is invoked when parties, judges, or attorneys need to identify the legal status of an issue, the rights of those involved, or the procedural step required next. The definition shown above is sourced from Wiktionary , which is widely cited in U.S. legal practice. Because U.S. law is jurisdictionally layered — federal, state, and sometimes local — the precise application of the term can vary by court, so check the controlling authority for your specific case.