Phrase guide

booby trap

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A practical joke by which something is made to fall upon someone entering through a door, or the like.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An unforeseen source of danger; a pitfall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an explosive mine hidden underground; explodes when stepped on or driven over

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: land mine, ground-emplaced mine

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mine

Narrower terms: bouncing betty, claymore mine, claymore

5

noun

Meaning 5

an unforeseen or unexpected or surprising difficulty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pitfall

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: difficulty

History

Etymology

From booby (“dunce, idiot”).

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: شَرَك (šarak) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Arabic: فَخّ (faḵḵ) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Armenian: ական-ծուղակ (akan-cuġak) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Chinese Mandarin: 餌雷 /饵雷 (ěrléi) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Dutch: boobytrap — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Finnish: ansa — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • French: piège — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • French: objet piégé — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Georgian: სატყუარა ნაღმი (saṭq̇uara naɣmi) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Georgian: დაფარული საფრთხე (daparuli saprtxe) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • German: Sprengfalle — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • German: versteckte Sprengladung — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Hebrew: מלכודת (malkódet) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Hebrew: מוקש (mokésh) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Hungarian: rejtett/álcázott bomba/csapda/akadály — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Icelandic: sprengjugildra — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Italian: trabocchetto — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Japanese: ブービートラップ (būbī torappu) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Norman: attrape-nigaud — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Persian: دام انفجاری — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Polish: mina pułapka — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Portuguese: armadilha — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Russian: ми́на-лову́шка (mína-lovúška) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Swedish: försåtminering — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Tamil: சூழ்ச்சிப் பொறி (cūḻccip poṟi) — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Turkish: bubi tuzağı — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • Vietnamese: bẫy mìn — antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or disguised as a harmless object
  • German: Tierfalle — traditional animal trap
  • Khiamniungan Naga: vāhtèu — traditional animal trap