trabocchetto

trap

noun trah-bok-KET-toh Rare

Also means

pitfall

Usage Note

Trabocchetto literally referred to a trapdoor or snare mechanism, and it is now used figuratively for a trick question or hidden catch. Cadere in un trabocchetto (to fall into a trap) is a common idiom. The plural is trabocchetti.

Examples

"La domanda era un trabocchetto per il candidato."

Natural Translation

The question was a trap for the candidate.

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