tap

Meanings

1. A conical peg or pin used to close and open the hole or vent in a container.
2. An object with a tapering conical form like a tap (etymology 1, noun sense 1); specifically, ellipsis of taproot (“long, tapering root of a plant”).
3. A hollow device used to control the flow of a fluid, such as an alcoholic beverage from a cask, or a gas or liquid in a pipe.
4. A procedure that removes fluid from a body cavity; paracentesis.
5. Liquor drawn through a tap (etymology 1, noun sense 2.2); hence, a certain kind or quality of liquor; also (figurative, informal), a certain kind or quality of any thing.
6. A device used to listen in secretly on telephone calls or other communications.
7. A secret interception of telephone calls or other communications using such a device; also, a recording of such a communication.
8. A situation where a borrowing government authority issues bonds over a period of time, usually at a fixed price, with volumes sold on a particular day dependent on market conditions.
9. A cylindrical tool used to cut an internal screw thread in a hole, with cutting edges around the lower end and an upper end to which a handle is fitted to turn the tool.
10. Ellipsis of taphouse or taproom (“place where alcoholic beverages are served on tap”).
11. A connection made to an electrical or fluid conductor without breaking it; a tapping.

1. To furnish (a container, etc.) with a tap (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.2) so that liquid can be drawn.
2. To draw off (a liquid) from a container or other source; also, to draw off a liquid from (a container or other source).
3. To drain off fluid from (a person or a body cavity) by paracentesis.
4. To break into or open up (a thing) so as to obtain something; to exploit, to penetrate; tap into.
5. To deplete (something); to tap out.
6. To ask or beg for (something) to be given for free; to cadge, to scrounge; also, to ask or beg (someone) to give something for free.
7. To connect a listening and/or recording device to (a communication cable or device) in order to listen in secretly on telephone calls or other communications; also, to secretly listen in on and/or record (a telephone call or other communication).
8. To turn over (a playing card or playing piece) to remind players that it has already been used in that round.
9. To force (an opponent) to place all their poker chips in the pot (that is, to go all in) by wagering all of one's own chips.
10. To remove a taproot from (a plant).
11. To cut an internal screw thread in (a hole); also, to cut (an internal screw thread) in a hole, or to create an internally threaded hole in (something).
12. To cut an external screw thread into (a bolt or rod) to create a screw.

1. To strike (someone or something), chiefly lightly with a clear sound, but sometimes hard.
2. Also in the form tap on the shoulder: to arrest (someone).
3. To have sexual intercourse with (someone).
4. To shoot (someone or something) with a firearm.
5. To (lightly) touch (a finger, foot, or other body part) on a surface, often repeatedly.
6. To lightly touch a touchscreen, usually an icon or button, to activate a function.
7. To lightly and repeatedly touch (a person or one or more body parts) as part of various forms of psychological treatment.
8. To force (an opponent) to submit, chiefly by indicating their intention to do so by striking a hand on the ground several times; to tap out.
9. To invoke a function on an electronic device such as a mobile phone by touching (a button, icon, or specific location on its touch screen).
10. To repair (an item of footwear) by putting on a new heel or sole, or a piece of material on to the heel or sole.
11. To choose or designate (someone) for a duty, an honour, membership of an organization, or a position.
12. Often followed by at or on: to strike lightly with a clear sound; also, to make a sharp noise through this action.

1. A light blow or strike with a clear sound; a gentle rap; a pat; also, the sound made by such a blow or strike.
2. The smallest amount of work; a stroke of work.
3. One of the metal pieces attached to the sole of a tap dancer's shoe at the toe and heel to cause a tapping sound.
4. A shot fired from a firearm.
5. An act of touching a button, icon, or specific location on the touch screen of an electronic device such as a mobile phone to invoke a function.
6. A single muscle contraction in vocal organs causing a consonant sound; also, the sound so made.
7. A piece of leather or other material fastened upon the bottom of an item of footwear when repairing the heel or sole; also (England, dialectal) the sole of an item of footwear.
8. Ellipsis of tap dance.

1. A malarial fever.

1. Initialism of talk aloud protocol.
2. Initialism of think aloud protocol.
3. Initialism of total audience package: an offering that includes ads broadcast during every part of the schedule.

1. The station code of Tai Po Market in Hong Kong.
2. Initialism of The Ada Project.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English tappe (“hollow device for controlling the flow of liquid from a hole, cock, faucet, spigot; hole through which the liquid flows; the liquid which thus flows”), from Old English tæppa, from Proto-West Germanic *tappō, from Proto-Germanic *tappô (“a plug, tap; peg; tapering stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂p- (“to lose; to sacrifice”). Doublet of tapa. The verb is derived from Middle English tappen (“to obtain (liquid, chiefly liquor) from a tap; to obtain and sell (liquor)”), from Old English tæppian (“to provide (a container) with a stopper; to obtain (liquid) from a tap”), and then either: * from Old English tæppa (see above) + -ian (suffix forming verbs); or * from Proto-Germanic *tappōną, from *tappô (noun) (see above). Verb etymology 1, verb sense 1.3.5 (“to turn over (a playing card or playing piece) to remind players that it has already been used in that round”) alludes to the abilities or resources of the card or piece having been drawn on to the point of temporary exhaustion: see verb etymology 1, verb sense 1.3.2.

Translations