mousetrap

Meaning

Noun

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. Frequently used by advertisers and pornographers.
3. (British, 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.

Verb

1. (figuratively) To trap; to trick or fool (someone) into a bad situation.
2. (Internet, transitive) To prevent (the user) from leaving a website by opening another copy when it is closed.

Synonyms

rattrap

trap

🪤

rat-poison

trap play

mouse trap

mousehole

Translations

Mausefalle

ratonera

muizeval

souricière

trappola per topi

ποντικοπαγίδα

ratoeira

ratera

φάκα

piège à souris

tuzak

🪤

piège

🪤

muizenval

sourcière

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mouse-trappe

Cognate with Dutch: muizetrap

In summary

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.