Dictionary

mousetrap en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• mous'trăp
• (US) audio
• /ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/

Etymology

From Middle English mouse-trappe, mous trappe, mouse trape, equivalent to mouse + trap. Cognate with Dutch muizetrap, muizentrap (“mousetrap”), German Low German Muustrappe, Muustrapp (“mousetrap”). In the Internet sense, refers to a computer mouse.

Meanings

1. (countable) A device for capturing or killing mice and other rodents.
2. (Internet, countable) A website designed to open another copy of itself when the user tries to close the webpage.
3. (UK, informal, uncountable) Ordinary, everyday cheese.
4. (New-Zealand, countable, uncountable) A slice of bread or toast topped with cheese and then grilled or microwaved.
5. (countable, historical, uncountable) An antisubmarine rocket used mainly during World War II by the US Navy and US Coast Guard.
   • Besides depth charges, they were armed with smaller forward firing antisubmarine rocket launchers called mousetraps. Fired in groups, these rockets detonated when they contacted a submarine. 2003, Nautical Research Journal, volume 48, page 199:

Forms

Deriveds

build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door · build a better mousetrap · mousetrap gun · mousetrap man · mousetrapped

Synonyms

mousefall

Translations (66)

hu egérfogó (device for killing mice) · bg капан за мишки (device for killing mice) · pt ratoeira (device for killing mice) · mk глу́вчарник (device for killing mice) · it trappola per topi (device for killing mice) · pl pułapka na myszy (everyday cheese) · is tréköttur (device for killing mice) · bcl atipil (device for killing mice) · sv musfälla (device for killing mice) · az siçan tələsi (device for killing mice) · hrx Rattefall (device for killing mice) · is fjalaköttur (device for killing mice) · da musefælde (device for killing mice) · mn ᠬᠤᠯᠤᠭᠠᠨ᠎ᠠ ᠵᠢᠨ ᠬᠠᠪᠬ᠎ᠠ (device for killing mice) · fa تلهموش (device for killing mice) · de Rattenfalle (device for killing mice) · sh mišolovka (device for killing mice) · grc μυάγρα (device for killing mice) · kk тышқан қақпан (device for killing mice) · bo ཙི་ཙི་ཟིན་ཡག (device for killing mice) · lt pelėkautai (device for killing mice) · es ratonera (device for killing mice) · el φάκα (device for killing mice) · bg долнокачествено сирене (everyday cheese) · eo muskaptilo (device for killing mice) · tr fare kapanı (device for killing mice) · ca ratera (device for killing mice) · la mūscipula (device for killing mice) · ja 鼠取り (device for killing mice) · no musefelle (device for killing mice) · fr souricière (device for killing mice) · fi hilavitkutin (hypothetical product) · gl ratoeira (device for killing mice) · chr ᏥᏍᏕᏥ ᏌᏛᏗ (device for killing mice) · fr piège à souris (device for killing mice) · cs pastička (device for killing mice) · mk кла́па (device for killing mice) · mn хулганы хавх (device for killing mice) · is músafella (device for killing mice) · fi hiirenloukku (device for killing mice) · ru мышело́вка (device for killing mice) · ja ネズミ捕り (device for killing mice) · is músagildra (device for killing mice) · pl pułapka na myszy (hypothetical product) · hi चूहादान (device for killing mice) · bno yabti (device for killing mice) · el ποντικοπαγίδα (device for killing mice) · ckb تەڵەمشک (device for killing mice) · vi bẫy chuột (device for killing mice) · cmn 捕鼠器 (device for killing mice) · ang mūsfealle (device for killing mice) · fi rotanloukku (device for killing mice) · ro cursă de șoareci (device for killing mice) · sh мишоловка (device for killing mice) · yue 老鼠夾 /老鼠夹 (device for killing mice) · mk ста́пица за глу́вци (device for killing mice) · af muisval (device for killing mice) · nl muizenval (device for killing mice) · ko 쥐덫 (device for killing mice) · pl pułapka na myszy (device for killing mice) · de Mausefalle (device for killing mice) · izh loukku (device for killing mice) · sv råttfälla (device for killing mice) · cs past na myši (device for killing mice) · fi parempi hiirenloukku (hypothetical product) · pl pułapka na myszy (computing: website designed to open another copy of itself)

mousetrap en · VERB

Pronunciation

• mous'trăp
• (US) audio
• /ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/

Etymology

From Middle English mouse-trappe, mous trappe, mouse trape, equivalent to mouse + trap. Cognate with Dutch muizetrap, muizentrap (“mousetrap”), German Low German Muustrappe, Muustrapp (“mousetrap”). In the Internet sense, refers to a computer mouse.

Meanings

1. (figuratively, transitive) To trap; to trick or fool (someone) into a bad situation.
   • He hoped to bring the rebels out of their trenches for a showdown battle somewhere south of the Wilderness, that gloomy expanse of scrub oaks and pines where Lee had mousetrapped Joe Hooker exactly a year earlier. 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Oxford, published 2004, page 724:
2. (Internet, transitive) To prevent (the user) from leaving a website by opening another copy when it is closed.
   • The scammer is paid for each new visitor directed to his site. There is nothing wrong except that the user finds it impossible to leave the site because he is mousetrapped. 2005, Armando Ang, Greed & Scams, Inc:

Forms