hair-trigger

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hair-trigger

/ˈhɛɹˌtɹɪ.ɡɚ/ Canada
/ˈhɛɚˌtɹɪɡ.ɚ/ US

Where it comes from

From hair + trigger.

noun hair-triggers · hair trigger

A trigger that will set off a firearm when even a very small pressure is applied. […]the hunter brings the sight of his rifle to bear; lightly and delicately his finger presses upon the hair-trigger.

adjective hair trigger

not comparable Unstable; in a situation that could be worsened by the slightest mistake.
not comparable Easily angered; having a short temper. "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?"
Similar: hair-triggered

Translations

Every language

noun gun mechanism

Español	gatillo de pleo
Русский	шне́ллер šnéller

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MLA

"hair-trigger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hair-trigger. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

hair-trigger. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hair-trigger

Chicago

"hair-trigger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hair-trigger.

BibTeX

@misc{hair_trigger_2026,
  title = {hair-trigger},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hair-trigger},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}