trap door
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A hinged or sliding door in a floor or ceiling: A
trap dooris a door that is set into a horizontal surface, such as a floor, stage, or ceiling. It is designed to be opened to allow access to a space below or above, and then closed to blend in with the surrounding surface.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The magician disappeared through a
trap doorin the stage. - We need to access the crawl space through the
trap doorin the hallway floor. - The old castle had a
trap doorleading to a secret dungeon.
Advanced Usage
- "to fall through a trap door": To experience a sudden, unexpected failure or downfall, often used metaphorically.
- His political career fell through a
trap doorafter the scandal.
- "trap door function": In mathematics and computer science, a function that is easy to compute in one direction but difficult to reverse without special information (a "key"). This is a metaphorical extension of the physical concept.
- Modern encryption relies on
trap doorfunctions to secure data.
Variants and Related Words
- Trapdoor (noun): A common alternative spelling, written as one word.
- The script called for a
trapdooron the set.
- Hatch (noun): A similar opening, often in a deck, roof, or aircraft, but not necessarily a full door with hinges.
- Trapdoor spider (noun): A type of spider that builds a burrow with a hinged lid made of silk and soil.
Synonyms
- Hatchway: An opening, often with a cover, in a deck or floor.
- Access panel: A removable section in a wall, floor, or ceiling for maintenance access.
Related Phrases
- Trap door effect: A sudden, surprising revelation or event, akin to something emerging from a trap door.
- The final chapter had a real
trap dooreffect, completely changing the story.
Related Idioms
- Like a trap door opening: Describing something that happens very suddenly and surprisingly.
- His resignation came like a
trap dooropening, shocking everyone in the company.
Noun
- a hinged or sliding door in a floor or ceiling