snare

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A trapping device, often consisting of a noose, used for capturing birds and small mammals.
2. n. Something that serves to entangle the unwary.
3. n. A surgical instrument with a wire loop controlled by a mechanism in the handle, used to remove growths, such as tumors and polyps.
4. v. To trap with or as if with a snare. See Synonyms at catch.
5. n. Any of the wires or cords stretched across the lower drumhead of a snare drum so as to vibrate against it.
6. n. A snare drum.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A string; a cord; specifically, in a side-drum, one of the strings of gut or rawhide that are stretched across the lower head so as to produce a rattling reverberation on it.
2. n. A noose; a springe; a contrivance, consisting of a noose or set of nooses of cord, hair, wire, or the like, by which a bird or other animal may be entangled; a net; a gin.
3. n. Figuratively, anything by which one is entangled, entrapped, or inveigled.
4. n. In surgery, a light écraseur, consisting usually of a wire loop or noose, for removing tumors and the like.
5. To catch with a snare or noose; net.
6. Figuratively, to catch or take by guile; bring by cunning into unexpected evil, perplexity, or danger; entangle; entrap.
7. To use snares; catch birds or other animals in snares.
8. In surgery, to cut off by means of a snare.

Wiktionary

1. n. A trap made from a loop of wire, string, or leather.
2. n. rare A mental or psychological trap; usually in the phrase a snare and a delusion.
3. n. veterinary A loop of cord used in obstetric cases, to hold or to pull a fetus from the mother animal.
4. n. music A set of chains strung across the bottom of a drum to create a rattling sound.
5. n. music A snare drum.
6. v. to catch or hold, especially with a loop.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A contrivance, often consisting of a noose of cord, or the like, by which a bird or other animal may be entangled and caught; a trap; a gin.
2. n. Hence, anything by which one is entangled and brought into trouble.
3. n. The gut or string stretched across the lower head of a drum.
4. n. (Med.) An instrument, consisting usually of a wireloop or noose, for removing tumors, etc., by avulsion.
5. v. To catch with a snare; to insnare; to entangle; hence, to bring into unexpected evil, perplexity, or danger.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a small drum with two heads and a snare stretched across the lower head
2. v. catch in or as if in a trap
3. n. strings stretched across the lower head of a snare drum; they make a rattling sound when the drum is hit
4. v. entice and trap
5. n. a trap for birds or small mammals; often has a slip noose
6. n. something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares
7. n. a surgical instrument consisting of wire hoop that can be drawn tight around the base of polyps or small tumors to sever them; used especially in body cavities