From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtriggertrig‧ger1 /ˈtrɪɡə $ -ər/ ●●○ AWL (also trigger off) verb [transitive] 1 CAUSEto make something happen very quickly, especially a series of events The assassination triggered off a wave of rioting. Certain forms of mental illness can be triggered by food allergies.trigger a memory (=make you suddenly remember something) His action triggered a massive response from the government.► see thesaurus at cause2 to make something such as a bomb or electrical system start to operate SYN set off The burglars fled after triggering the alarm.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
trigger• He gazed at an ineffable, agonizing radiance which only he could perceive, banishing whatever throwback emotions the brew had triggered.• It is with these shares that one is concerned to ensure that the Schedule E charge can not be triggered.• The incident could trigger a civil war.• Many of these same bacterial culprits are involved in triggering bad breath.• The policy shift was triggered by a sharp increase in violent crimes committed by young offenders during the late 1980s.• Doling out parts of the database to various companies could have triggered chaos on the Internet, Fernandes said.• He would trigger the necessary invitation on his return to Moscow.• Perhaps difficulty in obtaining natron through the traditionally established routes triggered the use of halophytic plants instead.triggered ... response• Brown eyes scanned the beautiful intensity of her face and triggered a breathless response.• The Powell speech and the dockers' march triggered a response.• The book, Golf in the Kingdom, triggered responses I had not expected.• Could she have triggered some unwanted response in this mysterious man, entirely by accident?triggertrigger2 ●○○ AWL noun [countable] 1 PMWthe part of a gun that you pull with your finger to fire itpull/squeeze the trigger He took aim and squeezed the trigger.2 → be the trigger (point) (for something)Examples from the Corpus
trigger• Research has shown that lack of sleep and other triggers such as stress cause a deficiency of the brain chemical dopamine.• Where education reduces fertility, which is nearly everywhere, the trigger point varies according to cultural influences.• This time when the firing stopped, he stuck the shotgun round the door with his right hand and pulled the trigger.• He snapped off a shot, hardly even bothering to point the gun before he squeezed the trigger.• I pause because telling the dream out loud has tripped the trigger.• The trigger, which gives the fish its name, is the leading ray of its dorsal fin which has become bony.pull/squeeze the trigger• A young ex-Marine points a gun at his head and pulls the trigger.• He pulled the trigger - and to his horror shot Christopher in the head.• He pulled the trigger and the report was deafening.• He pulled the trigger but the chamber was empty.• Jackson is convinced Ray pulled the trigger.• In the end, it was neither the dream nor the woman he loved that prompted him to pull the trigger.• My brain told me to pull the trigger but my finger wouldn't respond.• Now we need to pull the trigger.• Interim athletic director Paul Bubb was right to pull the trigger and fire Cassidy on Wednesday.From Longman Business Dictionarytriggertrig‧ger1 /ˈtrɪgə-ər/ (also trigger off) verb [transitive] to make something start happening, especially a series of eventsThe move could trigger a rush by investors to buy annuities.a sales rush triggered by cuts in interest rates→ See Verb tabletriggertrigger2 noun be the trigger (for) to be the thing that quickly causes something to happen, especially a problemA quick-fix solution could be a trigger for higher inflation.Origin trigger1 (1600-1700) Dutch trekker, from Middle Dutch trecken “to pull”; → TREK2 