deadfall

[ ded-fawl ]
See synonyms for deadfall on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a trap, especially for large game, in which a weight falls on and crushes the prey.

  2. a mass of brush and fallen trees.

Origin of deadfall

1
First recorded in 1605–15; dead + fall

Words Nearby deadfall

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use deadfall in a sentence

  • The carcass of the bear was, of course, a complete loss, and that is a serious objection to the deadfall as a bear trap.

    Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper | Eldred Nathaniel Woodcock
  • When the mink will not take bait readily, then of course the deadfall does not make a successful mink trap.

    Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper | Eldred Nathaniel Woodcock

British Dictionary definitions for deadfall

deadfall

/ (ˈdɛdˌfɔːl) /


noun
  1. a type of trap, used esp for catching large animals, in which a heavy weight falls to crush the prey: Also called: downfall

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012