Definition of "booby trap" []

• An explosive device designed to be triggered when an unsuspecting victim touches or disturbs a seemingly harmless object. (noun)
• A situation that catches one off guard; a pitfall. (noun)

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.

• "A false-floor chamber was a fairly common booby trap in the ancient Egyptian world—mainly because it was very simple to build and exceedingly effective."
• "He had no intention of playing into whatever booby trap the Mosslander had prepared for him, but something had to be done, and he didn’t dare wait until morning to do it."