speed trap

noun

1. a section of a road where hidden police, radar, etc., carefully check the speed of motorists and strictly enforce traffic regulations: sometimes characterized by hard-to-see signals, hidden traffic signs, etc.

speed trap

noun

1. a section of road on which the police check the speed of vehicles, often using radar

Word History and Origins

Origin of speed trap¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Decisive evidence came from a grainy black-and-white photo taken by a German speed trap.

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Joined by his "proud but also slightly bemused" partner Emilie, Dylan completed two runs through a speed trap on the 100m course in the machine that's part wheelbarrow, part scrap scooter.

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Delaware State Police will pay a $50,000 judgment to a man who filed a lawsuit after they stopped him from warning motorists about a radar speed trap by tearing up his sign.

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Zaid represented himself in a similar case in Montgomery County in 2009, when he himself was ticketed for flashing his lights to warn oncoming drivers of what he viewed as a speed trap.

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It’s clearly a “speed trap,” and there has even been a class-action lawsuit filed against it.

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