trigger

noun
trig·ger
/ˈtɹɪɡə/

A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.

Example

“Just pull the trigger.”

Other meanings

A similar device used to activate any mechanism.
An event that initiates others, or incites a response.
“Sleeping in an unfamiliar room can be a trigger for sleepwalking.”

A kind of

lever

Kinds of trigger

hair trigger

Related words

mistrigger
phototrigger
pretrigger
untrigger
triggerfish
grim trigger
parent trigger
trigger finger
trigger flower
trigger guard
trigger-happy
triggered

Example sentences

“I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger.”
Tatoeba · ddnktr · CC0
“He kept his finger on the trigger.”
Tatoeba · Igider · CC0

Word history

From Dutch "trekken" (to drag, draw, pull).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “trigger” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.