trabar

to join; to lock (in combat)

verb trah-BAHR Rare

Origin: From Latin trabāre, to bind with a beam.

Also means

to strike up (a conversation)

Usage Note

Trabar most often appears in the phrase trabar conversación (to strike up a conversation) and trabarse meaning to get tangled or to stammer. A speaker who stumbles over words may say se le trabó la lengua (his tongue got tied). It is a regular -ar verb with no stem changes.

Examples

"Trabaron conversación en el café."

Natural Translation

They struck up a conversation at the café.

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