verb
trip
To trigger a mechanism.
The overloaded circuit trips the breaker in the basement.
Etymology
Trip extends the idea of releasing or upsetting a support to machinery. A small action triggers the mechanism to move or change state.
More examples
- Opening the window tripped the alarm.
- A loose wire had tripped the safety switch.
- The machine stops when the sensor trips.
Forms
trip · trips · tripped · tripping
Similar words
- trigger
- More directly describes activating a mechanism or process.
- activate
- Broader; does not imply a sudden release or switch.