elephant trap
The term "elephant trap" can refer to a literal device for capturing elephants, a chess tactic, or a metaphor for an easily avoidable mistake.
Definition
C1Idiomatic Expression
(figurative, informal)A mistake that is obvious and easily avoidable, often revealing the incompetence of the person who falls into it.
Example
- He walked right into the elephant trap by clicking on the suspicious link.
B2Chess
(technical, specific)A faulty attempt by White to capture a pawn in the Queen's Gambit Declined, often leading to the loss of a minor piece.
Example
- The novice player fell into the Elephant Trap and lost his bishop early in the game.
B2Wildlife Management
(literal)A physical device designed to capture elephants, used in hunting or wildlife management.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "elephant trap":
elephant trunkmonkey trapelephant legelephant walkelephants' graveyardelephant's trunkelephant juiceelephant grassrogue elephantelephant's footwhite elephantelephant earelephant applebooby trapsee the elephantevolutionary trapbaby trap