A trap is a device for catching animals, and figuratively a clever trick that catches people out. It isn't the stairs to a plane or a ship, although a similar word, such as Dutch trap, means stairs: the stairs to a plane are the steps or airstairs, and the walkway onto a ship is a gangway. Trap is also a style of hip-hop: trap music.
trap: will you get the meaning right?
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set a trap; fall into a trap; be trapped in + place; a tourist trap
- The question looked easy, but it was a trap, and half the class got it wrong.
- That café next to the museum is a tourist trap: tiny portions and huge prices.
What changed
First versionWe went down the trap and took a bus to the terminal.
RevisionWe went down the steps and took a bus to the terminal.
For an English speaker, trap means a snare, so the sentence sounds as if you walked down into one. In everyday English, the stairs to a plane are simply called the steps.
Trapped means “stuck with no way out”: We were trapped in the lift for twenty minutes. It's stronger than stuck: you're stuck in traffic when you're delayed, but trapped when you're caught with no escape.
Your turn
When the plane landed, the passengers walked down the ___ and got on the bus.
Show the answer
steps — Passengers leave the plane by the stairs, which are the steps. Trap means a snare, and the sentence would sound as if people had been lured into an ambush.
Describe a time you fell into a trap: in an exam, in a shop or on a trip. Say where it happened and what caught you out.
On a trip to Rome, I fell into a classic trap because I was too polite: a friendly man gave me a bracelet and then asked for money.
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