Minefield

Minefield

Noun · /ˈmaɪn.fiːld/

Definition

An area of land or water containing explosive mines laid as a military obstacle; figuratively, a situation, topic, or area of activity that is full of potential difficulties, pitfalls, or dangerous complications.

Origin

From mine (an explosive device concealed underground or underwater, from the verb mine — to tunnel — itself from Old French miner, to dig, possibly from Gaulish *mina, ore) + field (an open area of land, from Old English feld, open country). The literal military sense dates from the First World War period when the large-scale use of land mines became part of trench warfare. The figurative sense — a situation full of dangerous pitfalls — developed through the twentieth century and is now extremely common.