trigger

trigger

I

trig‧ger¹ AC /ˈtrɪɡə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
1. the part of a gun that you pull with your finger to fire it
    pull/squeeze the trigger
    He took aim and squeezed the trigger.
2. be the trigger (point) (for something) to be the thing that quickly causes a serious problem:
    The hijacking became a trigger point for military action.

II

trigger² AC (also trigger off) verb [transitive]
1. to 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.
2. to make something such as a bomb or electrical system start to operate
   SYN  set off:
    The burglars fled after triggering the alarm.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ cause to make something happen, especially something bad: Bad weather has caused a lot of problems on the roads. | The fault caused the whole computer system to shut down.
   ▪ make somebody/something do something to cause someone to do something, or cause something to happen. Make is less formal than cause, and is the usual word to use in everyday English: What made you decide to become a teacher? | I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry. | Gravity is the force which makes the planets move round the Sun.
   ▪ be responsible for something if someone or something is responsible for something bad, they caused it to happen: The excessive heat was responsible for their deaths. | A small militant group was responsible for the bombing.
   ▪ bring about something to make something happen – used especially about changes or improvements: The Internet has brought about enormous changes in society. | It’s important that we do everything we can to bring about peace.
   ▪ result in something if an action or event results in something, it makes that thing happen: The fire resulted in the deaths of two children. | The decision is likely to result in a large number of job losses.
   ▪ lead to something to cause something to happen eventually after a period of time: The information led to several arrests. | A poor diet in childhood can lead to health problems later in life.
   ▪ trigger if one event triggers another, it suddenly makes the second event happen: The incident triggered a wave of violence. | An earthquake off Java’s southern coast triggered a tsunami.
   ▪ precipitate formal to make a very serious event happen very suddenly, which will affect a lot of people: The withdrawal of foreign investment would precipitate an economic crisis. | The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand precipitated World War I.