Meaning & use
sun trap
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableBritish
A sheltered spot, such as a garden or courtyard, protected from wind where the sun makes it especially warm.
Grammar: A countable noun: a sun trap in the garden.
Patterns
- a sun trap in somewhere
- make a sun trap
The walled garden is a lovely sun trap in spring.
Their patio is a real sun trap by noon.
We found a sun trap behind the rocks and sat down.
nouncountableinformal
A room or building with many windows that holds heat from the sun and can become uncomfortably warm.
Grammar: Often critical of a hot room: the office is a sun trap.
Patterns
- a sun trap of a room
The glass conservatory is a sun trap in July.
Our south-facing flat becomes a sun trap by afternoon.
The classroom was a sun trap, so we kept the blinds closed.
Word forms
| plural | sun traps |
|---|
Common combinations
- a real sun trap
- The courtyard is a real sun trap.
- south-facing sun trap
- They have a south-facing sun trap garden.
- sheltered sun trap
- A sheltered sun trap near the wall is perfect for lunch.
- find a sun trap
- We found a sun trap on the beach.
Synonyms and how they differ
- suntrap
- Suntrap is simply another spelling of the same word.
- hot spot
- Hot spot can mean any warm place, but it can also mean popular or dangerous.
- greenhouse
- A greenhouse is a building for plants, while a sun trap is any sunny, sheltered place.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sun trap or sunbeam?
sun trap vs sunbeam
A sunbeam is a ray of sunlight, not a place.
Practice
The garden is sheltered and faces south, so it is a ___ in summer.
Choose one answer.
A sun trap is a sheltered spot that gets warm in the sun. A wind tunnel would suggest strong wind, which is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sun trap”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.