trigger
/'trigə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A device that activates or releases something: A small lever or button that, when pressed, causes a mechanism to operate, especially the mechanism that fires a gun.
- An act or event that initiates a process: Something that causes a particular action, reaction, or series of events to begin.
Verb:
- To cause something to start or happen: To make a process, reaction, or event begin.
- To activate a mechanism: To operate a device, especially by pulling or pressing a trigger.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- He carefully placed his finger on the trigger. (He carefully placed his finger on the gun's firing mechanism.)
- The article about the scandal was the trigger for the investigation. (The article was the event that started the investigation.)
Verb:
- The announcement triggered widespread protests. (The announcement caused widespread protests to begin.)
- The smoke triggered the fire alarm. (The smoke activated the fire alarm.)
Advanced Usage
"to be quick on the trigger": To react very quickly; to be fast to act or respond.
- In debates, she is always quick on the trigger with a sharp reply. (She always responds very quickly in debates.)
"to trigger a memory": To cause a memory to come suddenly into one's mind.
- That song triggers a memory of my childhood. (That song makes me suddenly remember my childhood.)
Variants and Related Words
- Trigger-happy (adj): Too eager to use force or to take drastic action, especially by firing a gun.
- The trigger-happy guard shot without warning. (The guard, who was too eager to shoot, fired without warning.)
Synonyms
- Noun: Catalyst, cause, stimulus, spark.
- Verb: Activate, initiate, spark, set off, prompt.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Trigger off: To cause something to start, often something negative or a chain of events.
- The new tax policy triggered off a series of strikes. (The new tax policy caused a series of strikes to begin.)
Related Idioms
- To pull the trigger: To make the final decision to start something important or risky; to take decisive action.
- After months of research, they finally pulled the trigger and launched the product. (They finally made the decisive move to launch the product.)
Noun
- an act that sets in motion some course of events
- a device that activates or releases or causes something to happen
- lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun
Verb
- release or pull the trigger on
- Trigger a gun
- put in motion or move to act
- trigger a reaction
- actuate the circuits