trigger
a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.
a device, as a lever, the pulling or pressing of which releases a catch or spring.
anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.
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.
Slang. triggerman.
to initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.): Their small protest triggered a mass demonstration.
to fire or explode (a gun, missile, etc.) by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device: He accidentally triggered his rifle.
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.
to release a trigger.
to become active; activate.
Idioms about trigger
Origin of trigger
1Words Nearby trigger
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use trigger in a sentence
So if the media agency wants to pull the trigger, it’s a simple export or recreation for an actual activation.
Media Buying Briefing: To own or not to own, that’s the question with agencies and data — Part I: Publicis/Epsilon | jim cooper | January 25, 2021 | DigidayThe process of marketing a children’s magazine to parents You’ve got a really interesting set of purchase triggers that you go through.
‘Convince the gatekeepers’: How The Week Jr. is growing its U.S. subscriber base | Kayleigh Barber | January 19, 2021 | DigidayUnderstanding your triggers means you can avoid them, but more importantly it means you can identify in advance when something might make you feel anxious—and therefore, you can recognize early on when you’re experiencing anxiety.
How to keep your anxiety from spiraling out of control | Sara Chodosh | January 15, 2021 | Popular-ScienceHere, the task force recommends that Congress potentially clarify a trigger for a transition to begin, rather than leaving it to the discretion of officials.
If you find any resistance—meaning, you find a trigger point or any kind of stiffness in your temporalis—stop the movement and apply whatever pressure you’re comfortable with for 30 seconds to a minute.
A step-by-step guide to giving yourself a massage | Sandra Gutierrez G. | January 14, 2021 | Popular-Science
One report has the AirAsia Airbus flying at a speed very close to what would trigger a low speed stall.
People felt that crossed all lines, and then it became a story, so there are tipping points that trigger a public response.
I was the one to trigger the detonator, and for that I take full responsibility.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex | Lizzie Crocker | November 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEven private institutions, which most likely have less bureaucratic hurdles to deal with, have been slow to pull the trigger.
But witnesses say Muataz definitely was the shooter, and he even went so far as to apologize to Glick before pulling the trigger.
In Jerusalem Home Demolitions, the Biblical Justice of Revenge | Creede Newton | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST"I ordered you not to come," said Aspinall: "I can still pull a trigger, Sir," replied the man.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonNot while I had the open prairie underfoot and the summer sky above, and hands to strike a blow or pull a trigger.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairEvery thicket will have its troop; every finger, for a hundred leagues round, will be on the trigger.
The gunner, who sits on the seat behind the gun, points it and pulls the trigger.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickInside the case was some sort of a trigger mechanism operated by a button on the outside.
British Dictionary definitions for trigger
/ (ˈtrɪɡə) /
a small projecting lever that activates the firing mechanism of a firearm
machinery a device that releases a spring-loaded mechanism or a similar arrangement
any event that sets a course of action in motion
(usually foll by off) to give rise (to); set off
to fire or set in motion by or as by pulling a trigger
Origin of trigger
1Derived forms of trigger
- triggered, adjective
- triggerless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with trigger
In addition to the idiom beginning with trigger
- trigger happy
also see:
- quick on the draw (trigger)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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