booby-trap

boo·by-trap

B b

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [boo-bee trap]
- /ˈbu bi træp/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [boo-bee trap]
- /ˈbu bi træp/

Definitions of booby-trap word

countable noun booby-trap A booby-trap is something such as a bomb which is hidden or disguised and which causes death or injury when it is touched. 3
verb booby-trap If something is booby-trapped, a booby-trap is placed in it or on it. 3
noun booby-trap a hidden explosive device primed in such a way as to be set off by an unsuspecting victim 3
noun booby-trap a trap for an unsuspecting person, esp one intended as a practical joke, such as an object balanced above a door to fall on the person who opens it 3
verb booby-trap to set a booby trap in or on (a building or object) or for (a person) 3
verb booby-trap to set a booby trap in or on (a building or object) 3

See all 14 definitions of booby-trap

Information block about the term

Origin of booby-trap

First appearance:

before 1940

One of the 7% newest English words

First recorded in 1940-45

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Booby-trap

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Booby-trap

booby-trap popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 39% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 59% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

Synonyms for booby-trap

noun booby-trap

land mine — an explosive charge concealed just under the surface of the ground or of a roadway, designed to be detonated by pressure, proximity of a vehicle or person, etc.
ambush — If a group of people ambush their enemies, they attack them after hiding and waiting for them.
decoy — If you refer to something or someone as a decoy, you mean that they are intended to attract people's attention and deceive them, for example by leading them into a trap or away from a particular place.
mine — an excavation made in the earth for the purpose of extracting ores, coal, precious stones, etc.
pitfall — a lightly covered and unnoticeable pit prepared as a trap for people or animals.

All 10 Synonyms of booby-trap