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Trigger
01
a lever or mechanism that initiates the firing of a gun or firearm
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Inanimate
Composition
Simple
Countable
Plural form
triggers
Examples
He pulled the trigger and the gun fired.
02
an act that prompts a chain of events
Examples
His speech became the trigger for heated debates.
03
a device or mechanism that activates or releases a process, system, or action
Examples
The alarm has a trigger that senses smoke.
to trigger
01
to initiate or cause movement in a device
Transitive: to trigger sth
Ditransitive: to trigger sth to do sth
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
trigger
3rd person singular
triggers
Present participle
triggering
Past simple
triggered
Past participle
triggered
Examples
Pressing the button will trigger the automatic sliding doors to open.
02
to release or activate a mechanism, often associated with firearms
Transitive: to trigger a mechanism
Examples
The sniper carefully aimed before deciding to trigger the shot, hitting the target with precision.
03
to cause something to happen
Transitive: to trigger sth
Examples
The economic downturn triggered a series of layoffs within the company.
04
to cause a strong and unwanted reaction in someone
Transitive: to trigger a reaction or emotion
Examples
The mention of the traumatic event was enough to trigger anxiety attacks in the survivor.
