trigger

[trig-er] /ˈtrɪg ər/

noun

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

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

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

Slang. triggerman.

verb (used with object)

to initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.):

Their small protest triggered a mass demonstration.

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)

to release a trigger.

to become active; activate.

Idioms

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

Origin

1615-25; earlier tricker < Dutch trekker, equivalent to trekk(en) to pull + -er -er¹

Related forms

untriggered, adjective

Examples from the web for trigger

Certain risk factors, including a purine-rich diet, are also considered a trigger.
Professors, some of my students tell me, should not be trigger happy since they can make students extremely uncomfortable.
My theory has been that pheromones trigger my menstrual cycle to speed up.
Some small studies have suggested that eating less during a fever can trigger an immune response.
For some people, that first whiff of the uncorrupted outdoors might trigger a set of survival instincts.
Oil and gas production can also trigger earthquakes, he added.
Two intertwined pressures trigger problems for many presidents.
If you don't want to pay those fees, make sure you're aware of them and avoid mistakes and transactions that trigger them.
Microbes trigger immune response that suppresses infections.
They fragment ecosystems, send species into extinction and may even trigger earthquakes.

British Dictionary definitions for trigger

trigger

/ˈtrɪɡə/

noun

a small projecting lever that activates the firing mechanism of a firearm

(machinery) a device that releases a spring-loaded mechanism or a similar arrangement

any event that sets a course of action in motion

verb (transitive)

(usually foll by off) to give rise (to); set off

to fire or set in motion by or as by pulling a trigger

Derived Forms

triggered, adjective
triggerless, adjective

Word Origin

C17 tricker, from Dutch trekker, from trekken to pull; see trek

Word Origin and History for trigger

1650s, earlier tricker (1620s), from Dutch trekker "trigger," from trekken "to pull" (see trek). Tricker was the usual form in English until c.1750. Trigger-happy is attested from 1943.

1930, from trigger (n.). Related: Triggered; triggering.

Slang definitions & phrases for trigger

trigger

noun

A gunman; hit man, trigger man: He's a trigger (1935+ Underworld)

verb

To commit a robbery: Police said Sims has triggered dozens of holdups (1950s+)
To initiate something; provoke something: My innocent remark triggered a strange reaction (1938+)

Related Terms

quick on the draw

trigger in Technology

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 and Phrases with trigger

trigger

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