1. something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares;
"the exam was full of trap questions"
"it was all a snare and delusion"
2. a small drum with two heads and a snare stretched across the lower head
3. 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
4. strings stretched across the lower head of a snare drum; they make a rattling sound when the drum is hit
5. a trap for birds or small mammals; often has a noose