Hair-trigger
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈhɛɹˌtɹɪ.ɡɚ/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Hair-trigger is a noun meaning A trigger that will set off a firearm when even a very small pressure is applied.
Meaning
A trigger that will set off a firearm when even a very small pressure is applied.
More Meanings
- Unstable; in a situation that could be worsened by the slightest mistake.
- Easily angered; having a short temper.
Example Sentences
Is your laugh hung on a hair-trigger?—that is, is it critical, or can you get it off easy?
[…]the hunter brings the sight of his rifle to bear; lightly and delicately his finger presses upon the hair-trigger.
"Gus," the latter began, "am I right in assuming that you possess a reasonable amount of influence with that hair-trigger partner of yours, Live Wire Luiz?"
[I]n the 575 days since [Oscar] Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, there has been an unseemly scramble to construct revisionist histories, to identify evidence beneath that placid exterior of a pugnacious, hair-trigger personality.
Word Forms
- hair-triggers
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include snapshot, explosive, snap, volatile, instant, instantaneous.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.