trigger

English Online Dictionary. What means trigger‎? What does trigger mean?

English

Etymology

Originally tricker, from Dutch trekker (“pull”, noun, as in drawer-pull, bell-pull), from Dutch trekken (“to drag, draw, pull”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪɡə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪɡɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɪɡə(ɹ)

Noun

trigger (plural triggers)

1. (firearms) A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.
2. A similar device used to activate any mechanism.
3. An event that initiates others, or incites a response.

4. A concept or image that upsets somebody by sparking a negative emotional response.

5. (psychology) An event, experience or other stimulus that initiates a traumatic memory or a strong reaction in a person.
6. (music) An electronic transducer allowing a drum, cymbal, etc. to control an electronic drum unit or similar device.
7. (music) A device that manually lengthens (or sometimes shortens) the slide or tubing of a brass instrument, allowing the pitch range to be altered while playing.
8. (electronics) A pulse in an electronic circuit that initiates some component.
9. (databases) An SQL procedure that may be initiated when a record is inserted, updated or deleted; typically used to maintain referential integrity.
10. (online gaming) A text string that, when received by a player, will cause the player to execute a certain command.
11. (archaic) A catch to hold the wheel of a carriage on a declivity.

Alternative forms

• tricker (Britain, dialectal, obsolete)

Derived terms

Related terms

• trek

Translations

Verb

trigger (third-person singular simple present triggers, present participle triggering, simple past and past participle triggered)

1. (transitive) To fire (a weapon).

   Synonyms: activate, detonate, fire, set off
2. (transitive) To cause, to precipitate, to bring (something) about in response or as a result.

   Synonyms: precipitate, set off, cause, activate, initiate
3. (transitive, figurative) To spark a response, especially a negative emotional response, in (a person).

   Synonym: push someone's buttons

   • 1. (transitive, figurative, by extension of above, Internet slang) To intentionally offend someone, especially by expressing radical or edgy opinions.

4. (intransitive, especially electronics) To activate; to become active.

Usage notes

• Among movements to promote mental health awareness, especially concerning autism; epilepsy; and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), using the to spark an esp. negative emotional response in sense for lesser matters is often considered offensive to and exclusive of those who regularly deal with triggers that aggravate their symptoms (meltdowns; seizures, anxiety attacks; etc.).

Derived terms

Descendants

• → German: triggern

Translations

Adjective

trigger

1. comparative form of trig: more trig

Further reading

• trigger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• database trigger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “trigger”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “trigger”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “trigger”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English trigger.

Noun

trigger n (plural triggere)

1. trigger

Declension