hair trigger

noun
a trigger that allows the firing mechanism of a firearm to be operated by very slight pressure.

Origin:
1815–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged

hair-trig·ger

[hair-trig-er]
adjective
easily activated or set off; reacting immediately to the slightest provocation or cause: a hair-trigger temper.

Origin:
1885–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To hair trigger
00:10
Hair trigger is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
hair trigger
 
n
1.  a trigger of a firearm that responds to very slight pressure
2.  informal
 a.  any mechanism, reaction, etc, set in operation by slight provocation
 b.  (as modifier): a hair-trigger temper

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Without this hair trigger electrical system, life would be more than calm.
He's always been a guy without boundaries, a chronic inappropriate kidder with
  a hair trigger temper.
His violent outbursts and hair trigger temper result in countless
  confrontations with the law.
Volatility goes up, because firms can and do enter and exit positions on a hair
  trigger.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT