Advertisement
Advertisement
trigger
[ trig-er ]
noun
- a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.
- a device, as a lever, the pulling or pressing of which releases a catch or spring.
- anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.
- something that evokes the memory of a traumatic experience, setting off an intense negative emotional reaction:
This issue of the magazine contains accounts of sexual assault, and may be a trigger for some people.
- Slang. triggerman.
verb (used with object)
- to initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.):
Their small protest triggered a mass demonstration.
- to fire or explode (a gun, missile, etc.) by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device:
He accidentally triggered his rifle.
- to set off a negative emotional reaction in (someone), as by evoking the memory of a traumatic experience, repeatedly raising a sensitive issue, etc.:
I missed seeing my mom in the ICU before she died, and imagining her there triggers me every time I see ICU footage on TV.
verb (used without object)
- to release a trigger.
- to become active; activate.
trigger
/ ˈٰɪɡə /
noun
- a small projecting lever that activates the firing mechanism of a firearm
- machinery a device that releases a spring-loaded mechanism or a similar arrangement
- any event that sets a course of action in motion
verb
- usually foll by off to give rise (to); set off
- to fire or set in motion by or as by pulling a trigger
Derived Forms
- ˈٰ, adjective
- ˈٰ, adjective
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of trigger1
Idioms and Phrases
More idioms and phrases containing trigger
In addition to the idiom beginning with trigger , also see quick on the draw (trigger) .Example Sentences
The war was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken back to Gaza as hostages.
They are also particularly sensitive to the impact of fears that a global trade war could trigger a slowdown or even a recession in the world's biggest economy.
Analysts say that punishing anyone from factions fighting alongside the government could trigger a wide-scale insurrection — a potentially deadly blow to a fledgling government relying on those groups to secure its grip of the country.
Its seeds can lay dormant for years until intense heat and other cues from a wildfire triggers germination.
Measure ULA also has steep “cliffs” — thresholds where small price increases trigger massive tax increases.
Advertisement
Related 51Թs
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse