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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
Word History and Origins
Word 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
Can he trigger something similar at Sacramento State?
The risk lay in overloading the system by turning everything on at the same time and triggering another massive outage.
Twelve states have so-called trigger laws that would either cancel expansion or require changes in the state program if the federal match rate dropped below 90%.
However, she wrote, "this then triggered a whole series of correspondence, the outcome of which, is that no one seems to know who is responsible for the shipwreck," said the coroner.
The incident triggered a large law enforcement response and the closure of North Soto Street in both directions, according to helicopter footage captured by KTLA.
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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.
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