trigger

[ trig-er ]

/ ˈtrɪg ər /

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See synonyms for: trigger / triggered / triggering / triggers on Thesaurus.com

noun

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 detent or spring.

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

Slang. triggerman.

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object)

to release a trigger.

to become active; activate.

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Idioms for trigger

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

Origin of trigger

1615–25; earlier tricker<Dutch trekker, equivalent to trekk(en) to pull + -er-er¹

OTHER WORDS FROM trigger

un·trig·gered, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for trigger

The clearest trigger would appear to be the World Health Organization declaring another pandemic, but “the WHO definition doesn’t work for everyone,” said the fourth agency executive.
‘Kind of squishy’: Advertisers lobby to add pandemic clauses to TV upfront deals|Tim Peterson|September 1, 2020|Digiday
Despite nothing but false alarms so far, we treated every trigger with dead seriousness.
The quest to snare—and save—the world’s largest owl|Jonathan Slaght|August 28, 2020|Popular Science
If your dog isn’t well-trained yet, it’s important that you understand their triggers and how much they can handle stimulus-wise.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular Science
It’s part of a broader category of caloric effects, in which some external trigger — a force, pressure, a magnetic or electric field — induces a change in a material’s temperature.
The Shape-Shifting Squeeze Coolers|Marcus Woo|August 24, 2020|Quanta Magazine

You can help your customer focus on the end-users’ search habits by describing why it doesn’t make sense to improve visibility for queries that are navigational keywords and trigger site links.
How to craft a winning SEO proposal and avoid getting a silent ‘No’|Sponsored Content: SEOmonitor|August 3, 2020|Search Engine Land
But on Thursday Boxer triggered a Golden State political earthquake, announcing that she would not seek a fifth term in 2016.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Big Five banks dubbed too big to fail, are 35 percent bigger than they were when the meltdown was triggered.
Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton|Eleanor Clift|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
No alarms were triggered as she strolled out of the Giant supermarket in Limerick, Pennsylvania, and nobody thought otherwise.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Daily Beast: What triggered you to take up this initiative?
James Patterson Goes Full ‘Fahrenheit 451’ With Burning Book Video|William O’Connor|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In defiance, I held my ticket above my head, which triggered the spitting and chants of “How Dare You!”
Inside the Metropolitan Opera’s Insane Year|Shawn E. Milnes|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For he knew who had triggered those three today, who the Chi torpedo the cops wanted was.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Today as I brushed up against him, I triggered my arphid cloner, which was already loaded in the pocket of my leather jacket.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
No kidding, is that how those rats triggered off all these quakes?
Tom Swift and The Visitor from Planet X|Victor Appleton
At this juncture the triggered bell rang loudly, and raising his hand for silence Ringentaub returned to the store.
Elkan Lubliner, American|Montague Glass
You turned me in back there because they don't give, citizenship to women and so your de-conditioning didn't get triggered off.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth

British Dictionary definitions for trigger

trigger

/ (ˈtrɪɡə) /

noun

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

verb (tr)

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

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

Derived forms of trigger

triggered, adjectivetriggerless, adjective

Word Origin for trigger

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

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

Idioms and Phrases with trigger

trigger

In addition to the idiom beginning with trigger

trigger happy

also see:

quick on the draw (trigger)

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