trapper

American  

[trap-er] / ˈtræp ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that traps. trap.

2. a person whose business is the trapping trap of animals for their furs.

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trapper British  

/ ˈtræpə /

noun

1. a person who traps animals, esp for their furs or skins

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Etymology

Origin of trapper

First recorded in 1615–25; trap ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

A trapper is a person who hunts animals using snares or traps. When Europeans first colonized North America, trappers often traded animal furs and skins with Native people. When you imagine a trapper, you may think of Davy Crockett and his famous coonskin cap, made from the skin, fur, and entire tail of a trapped raccoon. Today's trappers may dress differently, but they still hunt or capture animals using a variety of traps. Some trappers work removing garden pests like squirrels and groundhogs, while others hunt for food or fur.

Example Sentences

Mississippi Delta-born Rizzo is a trapper with Coyote, Wildlife and Pest Solutions, which was hired by Torrance in the fall of 2021, city documents show.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2024

“A lot of these hunting theories I call anecdotal,” said Carter Niemeyer, a retired federal and professional wildlife trapper who has used scents to lure animals for north of six decades.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2024

He says an old trapper there taught him the Indigenous method of making buckskin leather by soaking hides in animal brains and tanning them using wood smoke.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2023

“New Yorkers have no idea how difficult it is to be a street cat,” said Rachel Adams, a cat trapper for Flatbush Cats and a clinical psychologist at Kingsboro Psychiatric Center.

From New York Times • Jun. 8, 2023

The regulators called at all hours, visiting the poorest trapper and wealthiest magistrate alike.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead