mantrap

/'mæntræp/

Thân thiện

A hunter checks a mantrap set near the forest path.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A trap for catching trespassers: A device or mechanism designed to capture or ensnare unauthorized persons, typically used for security or protection against intruders.
   • A very attractive or seductive-looking woman: (Informal, dated, and often considered offensive) A woman whose appearance is considered highly alluring or captivating.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Trap):
  • The old estate was rumored to have a mantrap in the woods to deter poachers.
  • Security installed a mantrap at the entrance to the high-security vault.
• Noun (Attractive woman):
  • The 1940s film noir often featured a dangerous mantrap as the femme fatale. (Note: This usage is archaic and can be pejorative.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is rarely used in modern contexts for either meaning. When referring to a security device, terms like "security trap" or "man trap" (as two words) are more common in technical specifications. The figurative use for a person is now widely regarded as sexist and objectifying.

Variants and Related Words

• Man trap (noun, two words): Can refer to a type of security portal or physical access control system that allows only one person to pass through at a time.
• Decoy (noun): A person or object used to lure someone into a trap or dangerous situation.
• Femme fatale (noun): A stock character of a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising or dangerous situations. (This is a related concept for the second, figurative meaning).

Synonyms

• For a trap: Snare, pitfall, deadfall, booby trap.
• For an attractive person (with caution regarding context and potential offensiveness): Siren, seductress, enchantress, heartbreaker.

Related Idioms

• To set/fall into a trap: This common idiom relates to the first meaning. While not containing the word "mantrap," it describes the core action.
  • The investigators set a clever trap for the thief.
  • He fell right into their trap.

Notes on Usage

• The second meaning ("attractive woman") is archaic and carries significant negative connotations. It reduces a person to an object or hazard. It is strongly advised to avoid this usage in contemporary language.
• The first meaning is also somewhat dated but may appear in historical contexts or discussions of antique security measures. In modern security parlance, a "mantrap" is more precisely described as a "security vestibule" or "airlock entry system."

Học thuật

Noun

1. a trap for catching trespassers
2. a very attractive or seductive looking woman