Steel Trap (Noun)
Meaning 1
An acute intelligence (an analogy based on the well-known sharpness of steel traps); "he's as sharp as a steel trap"; "a mind like a steel trap".
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The detective was known for having a mind like a steel trap, able to recall even the smallest details of a case years after it had gone cold.
- After solving the complex math problem with ease, her teacher praised her for having a brain as sharp as a steel trap.
- The elderly professor's remarkable ability to recall entire books from memory was due to his having a mind as sharp as a steel trap.
- As a seasoned lawyer, she was renowned for her ability to think on her feet and respond quickly, her mind working like a steel trap.
- The chess grandmaster's strategic thinking was as sharp as a steel trap, allowing him to outmaneuver his opponents with ease.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A trap made of steel with a strong spring and sharp toothlike projections to hold the prey.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The hunter carefully set the steel trap in the forest, hoping to catch a large buck.
- A steel trap had been set by a careless trapper, putting the entire wildlife population at risk.
- The conservationist was appalled to find a steel trap in the nature reserve, and immediately began to dismantle it.
- The park ranger warned hikers to be careful, as a steel trap had been spotted on one of the trails.
- A careless step triggered the steel trap, which snapped shut with a loud clang, narrowly missing the hiker's leg.