mousetrap

What it means

1. countableA device for capturing or killing mice and other rodents.

   Synonyms: mousefall

2. InternetcountableA website designed to open another copy of itself when the user tries to close the webpage.
3. UKinformaluncountablecookingOrdinary, everyday cheese.

In a sentence

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.

2003, Nautical Research Journal, volume 48, page 199

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishmouse-trappe
2. Englishmousetrap

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.