mousetrap

/ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/

//ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"mousetrap" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mousetrap” is uncommon English (frequency #65,323 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,323
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device for capturing or killing mice and other rodents.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mousetrap · mousetrap · English

mousetrap · rank #65,323 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,323
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Moriah

Nearest frequency peer: Moriah (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “mousetrap”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “mousetrap” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for mousetrap
PropertyValue
Headwordmousetrap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/
Letters9
Frequency rank#65,323
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “mousetrap” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).mousetrapfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Moriah” (#65,321), “Montebello” (#65,320), “Mohegan” (#65,319). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mousetrap” is #65,323. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mousetrap is uncommon English at frequency #65,323 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for mousetrap, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English mouse-trappe, mous trappe, mouse trape, equivalent to mouse + trap. Cognate with Dutch muizetrap, muizentrap (“mousetrap”), German Low German Muustrappe, Muustrapp (“mousetrap”). In the Internet sense, refers to a computer mouse. The correct English form is mousetrap, spelled M-O-U-S-E-T-R-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device for capturing or killing mice and other rodents.
  2. 2
    A website designed to open another copy of itself when the user tries to close the webpage.
  3. 3
    Ordinary, everyday cheese.
  4. 4
    A slice of bread or toast topped with cheese and then grilled or microwaved.
  5. 5
    An antisubmarine rocket used mainly during World War II by the US Navy and US Coast Guard.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how mousetrap appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Besides depth charges, they were armed with smaller forward firing antisubmarine rocket launchers called mousetraps. Fired in groups, these rockets detonated when they contacted a submarine.

Etymology

From Middle English mouse-trappe, mous trappe, mouse trape, equivalent to mouse + trap. Cognate with Dutch muizetrap, muizentrap (“mousetrap”), German Low German Muustrappe, Muustrapp (“mousetrap”). In the Internet sense, refers to a computer mouse.

This word in other languages

ratonera(Español)souricière(Français)Mausefalle(Deutsch)ratoeira(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mousetrap"?
"mousetrap" is spelled M-O-U-S-E-T-R-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/.
What does "mousetrap" mean?
As a noun, "mousetrap" means: A device for capturing or killing mice and other rodents.
How do you pronounce "mousetrap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mousetrap" is /ˈmaʊsˌtɹæp/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "mousetrap"?
From Middle English mouse-trappe, mous trappe, mouse trape, equivalent to mouse + trap. Cognate with Dutch muizetrap, muizentrap (“mousetrap”), German Low German Muustrappe, Muustrapp (“mousetrap”). In the Internet sense, refers to a computer mouse. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "mousetrap", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

musketeer#65,329Nyasaland#65,356Pankhurst#65,380pansexual#65,382

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list