trigger

[trig-er]

noun

1. a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.

2. a device, as a lever, the pulling or pressing of which releases a catch or spring.

3. anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.

4. something that evokes the memory of a traumatic experience, setting off an intense negative emotional reaction.

   This issue of the magazine contains accounts of sexual assault, and may be a trigger for some people.

5. Slang.,  triggerman.

verb (used with object)

1. to initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.).

   Their small protest triggered a mass demonstration.

2. to fire or explode (a gun, missile, etc.) by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device.

   He accidentally triggered his rifle.

3. to set off a negative emotional reaction in (someone), as by evoking the memory of a traumatic experience, repeatedly raising a sensitive issue, etc..

   I missed seeing my mom in the ICU before she died, and imagining her there triggers me every time I see ICU footage on TV.

verb (used without object)

1. to release a trigger.

2. to become active; activate.

trigger

/ ˈtrɪɡə /

noun

1. a small projecting lever that activates the firing mechanism of a firearm

2. machinery a device that releases a spring-loaded mechanism or a similar arrangement

3. any event that sets a course of action in motion

verb

1. (usually foll by off) to give rise (to); set off

2. to fire or set in motion by or as by pulling a trigger

Other Word Forms

• triggered adjective
• triggerless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trigger¹

First recorded in 1615–25; earlier tricker, from Dutch trekker, equivalent to trekk(en) “to pull” + -er -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of trigger¹

C17 tricker , from Dutch trekker , from trekken to pull; see _trek

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. quick on the trigger, quick to act or respond; impetuous; alert.

More idioms and phrases containing trigger

• quick on the draw (trigger)

Example Sentences

The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rains, triggering landslides and flash floods.

Read more on Barron's

Under that statute, offering or giving a foreign public official an advantage in return for favorable treatment can trigger criminal charges, potentially carrying prison time or fines.

Read more on Salon

The show’s minimalism extends to its set by Soutra Gilmour: two oversize piles of luggage on a turntable—conceptually clever even if it may trigger unpleasant memories of long, foot-tapping waits at airport carousels.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Glitches have locked customers out of deposit accounts, triggered improper fees and prompted enforcement actions over how the bank handled account closures.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This year, it even tried cloud seeding to trigger artificial rain, without success.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bring about 
• cause 
• generate 
• produce 
• prompt 
• provoke 
• set off 
• spark 
• start