man-trap

Or man·trap

[man-trap]

noun

1. an outdoor trap set for humans, as to snare poachers or trespassers.

2. Slang.,  a woman who is purported to be dangerously seductive or who schemes in her amours; femme fatale.

Word History and Origins

Origin of man-trap¹

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

Around 10:15 p.m., the actor Harry Hawk, playing Asa Trenchard, said the line, “Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal; you sockdologizing old man-trap!”

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“Always seems to me,” said Wemmick, “as if he had set a man-trap and was watching it. Suddenly—click—you’re caught!”

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Here is the line that prompted their hilarity: “I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal, you sockdologizing old man-trap.”

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Both Huntington High and Cabell Midland High schools will receive safe school “man-trap” entrances, which many facilities in the county have.

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What we said: “Stoke are the Premier League’s hard core. Unlikely to challenge for silverware but unlikely to be relegated either, they exist primarily as a sort of man-trap to keep teams with loftier ambitions on their mettle. Stoke have built their reputation on cutting bigger sides down to size.”

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