Meaning & use
speed traps
Last updated
“speed traps” is a form of “speed trap”.
Meaning
nounplural
Places on a road where police or cameras secretly measure vehicle speed to catch drivers who go over the limit.
Grammar: Plural of speed trap: there are several speed traps on that highway.
Patterns
- a speed trap on something
Local drivers know where the speed traps are on the main road.
The town earned a lot of money from speed traps.
Phone apps warn people about speed traps ahead.
Word forms
| singular | speed trap |
|---|
Common combinations
- avoid speed traps
- He drives slowly through town to avoid speed traps.
- caught in a speed trap
- She was caught in a speed trap on her way to work.
- warn about speed traps
- Radio stations warn about speed traps during holidays.
- notorious speed traps
- The small town has two notorious speed traps.
- hidden speed traps
- Hidden speed traps annoy many drivers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speed cameras
- Speed cameras are automatic devices, while speed traps may involve an officer with a radar gun.
- checkpoints
- Checkpoints stop vehicles for many reasons, whereas speed traps are only about speed.
- radar traps
- Radar traps are speed traps that specifically use radar and is slightly more technical.
Word family
- speed trap noun
- singular form
- speeding noun
- driving faster than allowed
- speeder noun
- a person who drives too fast
- trap noun
- something that catches a person or animal
Commonly confused: speed traps or speed bumps?
speed traps vs speed bumps
Speed bumps are raised strips that force cars to slow down physically, while speed traps only measure speed.
Practice
The town makes a lot of money from ____ on the highway.
Choose one answer.
Speed traps catch speeding drivers and produce fines. Speed bumps slow cars physically but do not create fine income.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “speed traps”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.