attractive nuisance

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Explanation of "Attractive Nuisance"

Definition: An "attractive nuisance" is a legal term that refers to something on someone’s property that is likely to attract children and could potentially cause them harm or danger. For example, a swimming pool, a trampoline, or a construction site can be considered an attractive nuisance if children find them interesting and try to play with or near them, which could lead to accidents.

Usage Instructions:

• The term is usually used in legal discussions about property and liability.
• It is often important for property owners to take steps to protect children from these dangers.

Example:

• "The homeowner was sued because they did not put a fence around their pool, which is considered an attractive nuisance."

Advanced Usage:

• In legal contexts, if a child is injured on someone's property due to an attractive nuisance, the property owner may be held responsible for the injuries, especially if they did not take proper precautions to secure the area.

Word Variants:

• Noun: Nuisance (the general term for something that is annoying or harmful, but not necessarily attractive)
• You might also see terms like "liability" (responsibility for something, especially in law) when discussing attractive nuisances.

Different Meaning:

• Outside of the legal context, "nuisance" can mean anything that is bothersome or inconvenient, like noisy neighbors or a messy situation.

Synonyms:

• Hazardous attraction
• Dangerous feature
• Lure (in a more general sense)

Related Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• "On the fence": This idiom means being undecided or uncertain about something, but it doesn’t relate directly to the term "attractive nuisance."
• "Take precautions": This phrase means to take steps to prevent something bad from happening, which is relevant when discussing how to handle attractive nuisances.

Summary:

An attractive nuisance is a potentially dangerous feature on a property that can attract children.

Academic

Noun

1. anything on your premises that might attract children into danger or harm; they should fence it in"
   • their swimming pool is an attractive nuisance