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Definition of "trigger" []

  • The lever pressed by the finger to discharge a firearm. (noun)
  • A similar device used to release or activate a mechanism. (noun)
  • An event that precipitates other events. (noun)
  • Electronics A pulse or circuit that initiates the action of another component. (noun)
  • To set off; initiate: remarks that triggered bitter debates. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "trigger" in a sentence
  • "For those who might be offended by the analogy, remember: the word trigger is best known as the term for the mechanism that fires a gun, or for the device that sets off a bomb."
  • "The trigger is NOT a compromise, as another comment asserted: the trigger is a trick to sneak the public option in at a later date. katiec"
  • "True, the trigger is as good as any I've ever touched off on any hunting rifle."