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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
Other 51Թ Forms
- ˈٰ adjective
- ˈٰ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of trigger1
Idioms and Phrases
Example Sentences
In 2024, popular TikTok user Liv Schmidt was banned from the platform over her controversial weight loss posts, with many viewers reporting her account for "triggering" language.
On the face of it, he is perhaps more a middle-class loner, and his apparent normality suggests a crime triggered by internalised mental processes, rather than by peer-driven association or emulation.
You're not alone - around one in five people are allergic to pollen and the culprit is usually grass, although trees can also trigger symptoms.
Israel's operation could still backfire, triggering a nuclear arms race.
The event came nearly a week after ICE agents began fanning across the region, showing up at workplaces, schools and courthouses, and triggering an array of protests across Southern California.
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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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