[f. TRIG v.1 + -ER1.]
1. A device or appliance to retard or stop the motion of a vehicle descending a slope. Now dial.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Estornija de carro, the trigger of a cart, sufflamen.
1611. Cotgr., Enrayer une roué, to stay, or hold a wheele backe with a Trigger. Enrayoir … a Trigger, the staffe thats put before a cart-wheele, to keepe it from ouer-throwing, or ouer-hastie going.
1631. Anchoran, Comenius’ Gate Tongues, 88. To the wheeles are put triggers [L. sufflamina, F. les enrayoirs].
1648. Hexham, Dutch Dict., Radt-sperre..., that which is put into the Wheele, lest the Cart be overthrowne, or a Trigger [ed. 1678 triger]…. Rede, ofte Wagen-span, the Trigger of a Wheele to stay it.
a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal (1673), 282. The souldier … has not his estate worn-out with such delay, like a waggon-wheell with the trigger that stops it.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 1246/2. A Trigger to stay a Cart wheel up hill, sufflamen.
1888. Elworthy, W. Som. Word-bk., Trigger, anything used to trig or block. ‘Here! thick gurt stone ’ll do vor a trigger.’
fig. a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal, xvi. (1673), 279. Their means ne’re, without fruit, Are gaul’d with the long trigger of a suit.
b. See quot.
1893. Wilts. Gloss., Trigger, the rod let down to ‘trig up’ the shafts of a cart.
2. Ship-building. A support holding the dog-shore in position; also transf. the dog-shore itself.
1867. in Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.
1877. Knight, Dict. Mech., Trigger.… A piece of wood placed under a dog-shore to hold it up until the time for launching.
1896. Strand Mag., XII. 324/2. This obstacle, known variously as the ‘trigger,’ ‘dagger,’ or ‘dog-shore,’ is usually a short length of hard wood interposed—in a sloping direction, and in such a way as to promptly yield to a smart downward blow—between fixed projections on the side of the standing ways and of the sliding ways.
1899. Daily News, 16 Jan., 7/3. The last blocks had been knocked away and the Oceanic was held in place only by a ‘trigger’ on each side. These huge triggers of cast steel … work in hydraulic pistons, and fit into slots of the sliding ways.
1900. Engineering Mag., XIX. 681. From these triggers, dog shores, bearing only about one-quarter of an inch outside of the fulcrum, extend up against the keel.
