trigger

- 9 dictionary results

trig⋅ger

[trig-er]

–noun

1.	a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.

2.	a device, as a lever, the pulling or pressing of which releases a detent or spring.

3.	anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.

4.	Slang. triggerman.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.): Their small protest triggered a mass demonstration.

6.	to fire or explode (a gun, missile, etc.) by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device: He accidentally triggered his rifle.

–verb (used without object)

7.	to release a trigger.

8.	to become active; activate.

—Idiom

9.	quick on the trigger, Informal. quick to act or respond; impetuous; alert.

Origin:
1615–25; earlier tricker < D trekker, equiv. to trekk(en) to pull + -er -er ¹

trig

2 [trig]

,adjective, verb, trigged, trig⋅ging.

–adjective Chiefly British.

1.	neat, trim, smart, or spruce.

2.	in good physical condition; sound; well.

–verb (used with object)

3.	Chiefly British Dialect. to make trim, smart, etc. (often fol. by up or out).

Origin:
1150–1200 for earlier sense; 1505–15 for def. 1; ME trigg true, trusty < ON tryggr loyal, safe; c. Goth triggws true, faithful. See true

Related forms:

trigness, noun

Synonyms:
1. tidy, orderly.

trig⋅ger⋅man

[trig-er-muh

n, -man]

–noun, plural -men [-muh

n, -men]

. Informal.

1.	a gangster who specializes in gunning people down.

2.	a bodyguard, esp. of a gangster.

Also called trigger.

Origin:
1920–25; trigger + man ¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

Link To trigger

trig·ger (trĭg'ər)

1. The lever pressed by the finger to discharge a firearm.
2. A similar device used to release or activate a mechanism.
An event that precipitates other events.
Electronics A pulse or circuit that initiates the action of another component.

tr.v. trig·gered, trig·ger·ing, trig·gers

To set off; initiate: remarks that triggered bitter debates.
To fire or explode (a weapon or an explosive charge).

[Dutch trekker, from Middle Dutch trecker, from trecken, to pull.]

Slang Dictionary

trigger

n.
a hired gunman. (Underworld.) : Get your triggers outa here—then we can talk.
tv.
to start something; to set something off. : The noise triggered an avalanche.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

Word Origin & History

trigger (n.)

1660, earlier tricker (1621), from Du. trekker "trigger," from trekken "to pull" (see trek). Tricker was the usual form in Eng. until c.1750. The verb is first recorded 1930, from the noun. Trigger-happy is attested from 1943.

trig

"smart, trim," c.1200, from O.N. tryggr "firm, trusty, true" (see true). A Scottish and northern word only until 19c.

Computing Dictionary

trigger database
An action causing the automatic invocation of a procedure, for instance to preserve referential integrity. A triggers goes into effect when a user attempts to modify data with an insert, delete, or update command. A trigger can instruct the system to take any number of actions when a specified change is attempted. By preventing incorrect, unauthorized, or inconsistent changes to data, triggers help maintain the integrity of the database.
[Sybase SQL Server Release 10.0 Transact-SQL User's Guide].
(1995-02-22)

Idioms & Phrases

trigger

In addition to the idiom beginning with trigger, also see quick on the draw (trigger).

Search another word or see trigger on Thesaurus | Reference

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»bedizen

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