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.

• "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."