deathtrap

[ deth-trap ]

/ ˈdɛθˌtræp /

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noun

a structure, place, or situation where there is imminent risk of death: They escaped from the deathtrap just before it exploded.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of deathtrap

First recorded in 1825–35; death + trap¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use deathtrap in a sentence

I recognized several of the camps where the Dales and Ward had halted when the brute was leading them into the death-trap.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
It was a death trap that any experienced mountaineer would recognize at a glance.
Rescue Dog of the High Pass|James Arthur Kjelgaard
As long as we held to our fundamental assumption—that Davies had been decoyed into a death-trap in September—it explained nothing.
The Riddle of the Sands|Erskine Childers
They were only allowed to remain south of the Marne long enough for Foch to convert these river crossings into a death-trap.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various

Then the enemy began to shell the second line, and Zouave Wood became a death-trap.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10)|James Edward Parrott

British Dictionary definitions for deathtrap

death trap

noun

a building, vehicle, etc, that is considered very unsafe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012