trigger mechanism

American  

noun

1. a physiological or psychological process caused by a stimulus and resulting in a usually severe reaction.

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Example Sentences

“There was no trigger mechanism, the guy was obviously a nut. Bombs have triggering mechanisms, hoaxes have pipes without triggering mechanisms.”

From The New Yorker • Nov. 6, 2018

It’s a trigger mechanism: as soon as he says it, the chants begin.

From The Guardian • Nov. 1, 2018

“I could hear a helicopter in my sleep and wake up screaming. That was kind of a trigger mechanism that took me back there every time.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2016

“It’s a trigger mechanism to establish contact between individuals and service providers,” Judge Serita said of the court.

From New York Times • Nov. 21, 2014

I forget the exact trigger mechanism, but it gives constant parity errors.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn