steel trap

noun

1. a trap for catching animals, consisting of spring-operated steel jaws with sharp projections that clamp shut.

Word History and Origins

Origin of steel trap¹

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

I was running my team up a small frozen creek when I came around a corner and saw a raven caught in a number-four steel trap.

From Literature

“He had a mind like a steel trap when it came to where everything is,” said Porter, who died in 2015.

From Washington Post

Also, cookbooks: Unless you have a mind like a steel trap or count shorthand among your skills, an audio cookbook is going to be frustrating.

From Washington Post

Granted, the second busiest airport in the nation, built in a sprawling, car-dependent city and perpetually under construction, often feels like a steel trap for traffic, especially during the holidays.

From Los Angeles Times

A funny little round man in hippie clothes with a mind like a steel trap.

From Literature