tap1

[tap] /tæp/
verb (used with object), tapped, tapping.
1.
to strike with a light but audible blow or blows; hit with repeated, slight blows:
He tapped the door twice.
2.
to make, put, etc., by tapping:
to tap a nail into a wall.
3.
to strike (the fingers, a foot, a pencil, etc.) upon or against something, especially with repeated light blows:
Stop tapping your feet!
4.
Basketball. to strike (a ball in the air) in the direction of a teammate or of the basket.
5.
to enter information or produce copy by tapping on a keyboard:
to tap data into a computer; to tap out a magazine article.
6.
to add a thickness of leather to the sole or heel of (a boot or shoe), as in repairing.
verb (used without object), tapped, tapping.
7.
to strike lightly but audibly, as to attract attention.
8.
to strike light blows.
9.
to tap-dance.
noun
10.
a light but audible blow:
a tap on the shoulder.
11.
the sound made by this.
12.
a piece of metal attached to the toe or heel of a shoe, as for reinforcement or for making the tapping of a dancer more audible.
13.
Basketball. an act or instance of tapping the ball:
Hanson got the tap from our center, who, 6prime;9″ tall, couldn't lose a jump ball.
14.
a thickness of leather added to the sole or heel of a boot or shoe, as in repairing.
Origin
1175-1225; (v.) Middle English tappen, variant of early Middle English teppen, probably imitative; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the v.
Related forms
tappable, adjective
untappable, adjective

tap2

[tap] /tæp/
noun
1.
a cylindrical stick, long plug, or stopper for closing an opening through which liquid is drawn, as in a cask; spigot.
2.
a faucet or cock.
3.
the liquor drawn through a particular tap.
4.
British. a taphouse or taproom.
5.
a tool for cutting screw threads into the cylindrical surface of a round opening.
6.
Surgery. the withdrawal of fluid:
spinal tap.
7.
a hole made in tapping, as one in a pipe to furnish connection for a branch pipe.
8.
Electricity. a connection brought out of a winding at some point between its extremities, for controlling the voltage ratio.
9.
Informal. an act or instance of wiretapping.
10.
Archaic. a particular kind or quality of drink.
verb (used with object), tapped, tapping.
11.
to draw liquid from (a vessel or container).
12.
to draw off (liquid) by removing or opening a tap or by piercing a container.
13.
to draw the tap or plug from or pierce (a cask or other container).
14.
to penetrate, open up, reach into, etc., for the purpose of using something or drawing something off; begin to use:
to tap one's resources.
15.
to connect into secretly so as to receive the message or signal being transmitted:
to tap a telephone wire or telephone.
16.
to furnish (a cask, container, pipe, etc.) with a tap.
17.
to cut a screw thread into the surface of (an opening).
18.
to open outlets from (power lines, highways, pipes, etc.).
Verb phrases
19.
tap into, Informal. to gain access to; become friendly with:
The candidate tapped into some wealthy supporters.
20.
tap off, to remove (liquid, molten metal, etc.) from a keg, furnace, or the like:
to tap off slag from a blast furnace.
Idioms
21.
on tap,
  1. ready to be drawn and served, as liquor from a cask.
  2. furnished with a tap or cock, as a barrel containing liquor.
  3. Informal. ready for immediate use; available:
    There are numerous other projects on tap.
Origin
before 1050; (noun) Middle English tappe, Old English tæppa; cognate with Dutch tap, Old High German zapfo, Old Norse tappi; (v.) Middle English tappen, Old English tæppian; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch tappen, German zapfen, Old Norse tappa
Related forms
tappable, adjective
Examples from the web for tap
  • If the bottoms of the shells puff up, tap down lightly with your fingers as often as necessary.
  • He wore the depth of his knowledge so lightly, and was so open with any newcomer who wanted to tap into it.
  • They take one style of tap dancing and perfect it until it becomes their specialty.
  • Armies can also tap wireless-networking gear mounted on drones and balloons to keep soldiers connected in the field.
  • Add a tea light or a tap light and beam your undercover message to the world.
  • In order for the experiment to work, the cool water had to be distilled, and the hot water had to come from the tap.
  • They also took samples of the tap water in these locations.
  • Blot any juice from the cut end, then tap it onto your ink pad to cover the star's entire surface.
  • If the police officer hadn't met his stare, answered that tap or done something overt, there would be no news story.
  • It took some tap dancing on my part to figure out how to address the issues of humor and civility in the same breath.
British Dictionary definitions for tap

tap1

/tæp/
verb taps, tapping, tapped
1.
to strike (something) lightly and usually repeatedly: to tap the table, to tap on the table
2.
(transitive) to produce by striking in this way: to tap a rhythm
3.
(transitive) to strike lightly with (something): to tap one's finger on the desk
4.
(intransitive) to walk with a tapping sound: she tapped across the floor
5.
(transitive) to attach metal or leather reinforcing pieces to (the toe or heel of a shoe)
noun
6.
a light blow or knock, or the sound made by it
7.
the metal piece attached to the toe or heel of a shoe used for tap-dancing
8.
short for tap-dancing See tap-dancing
9.
(phonetics) the contact made between the tip of the tongue and the alveolar ridge as the tongue is flicked upwards in the execution of a flap or vibrates rapidly in the execution of a trill or roll
See also taps
Derived Forms
tappable, adjective
Word Origin
C13 tappen, probably from Old French taper, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Low German tappen to pluck, Swedish dialect täpa to tap

tap2

/tæp/
noun
1.
a valve by which a fluid flow from a pipe can be controlled by opening and closing an orifice US and Canadian name faucet
2.
a stopper to plug a cask or barrel and enable the contents to be drawn out in a controlled flow
3.
a particular quality of alcoholic drink, esp when contained in casks: an excellent tap
4.
(Brit) short for taproom
5.
the surgical withdrawal of fluid from a bodily cavity: a spinal tap
6.
Also called screw tap. a tool for cutting female screw threads, consisting of a threaded steel cylinder with longitudinal grooves forming cutting edges Compare die2 (sense 2)
7.
(electronics, mainly US & Canadian) a connection made at some point between the end terminals of an inductor, resistor, or some other component Usual Brit name tapping
8.
(stock exchange)
  1. an issue of a government security released slowly onto the market when its market price reaches a predetermined level
  2. (as modifier): tap stock, tap issue
9.
a concealed listening or recording device connected to a telephone or telegraph wire for the purpose of obtaining information secretly
10.
on tap
  1. (informal) ready for immediate use
  2. (of drinks) on draught
verb (transitive) taps, tapping, tapped
11.
to furnish with a tap
12.
to draw off with or as if with a tap
13.
to cut into (a tree) and draw off sap from it
14.
(Brit, informal) to ask or beg (someone) for money: he tapped me for a fiver
15.
  1. to connect a tap to (a telephone or telegraph wire)
  2. to listen in secret to (a telephone message, etc) by means of a tap
16.
to make a connection to (a pipe, drain, etc)
17.
to cut a female screw thread in (an object or material) by use of a tap
18.
to withdraw (fluid) from (a bodily cavity)
19.
(informal) (of a sports team or an employer) to make an illicit attempt to recruit (a player or employee bound by an existing contract)
Derived Forms
tappable, adjective
Word Origin
Old English tæppa; related to Old Norse tappi tap, Old High German zapfo

tap3

/tæp/
noun, verb
1.
a Scot word for top1
Word Origin and History for tap
v.

"strike lightly," c.1200, from Old French taper "tap, rap, strike," from a Gallo-Romance or Germanic source ultimately imitative of the sound of rapping. Meaning "to designate for some duty or for membership" is recorded from 1952, from notion of a tap on the shoulder. Related: Tapped; tapping.

"to supply with a tap," Old English tæppian, from source of tap (n.1). Meaning "to draw liquor with a tap" is from mid-15c. Extended sense of "make use of" is first recorded 1570s. Meaning "to listen in secretly" (1869), originally with reference to telegraph wires. Tapped out "broke" is 1940s slang, perhaps from the notion of having tapped all one's acquaintances for loans already (cf. British slang on the tap "begging, making requests for loans," 1932).

n.

"stopper, faucet," Old English tæppa, from Proto-Germanic *tappon (cf. Middle Dutch tappe, Dutch tap, Old High German zapfo, German zapfen). Originally a tapering cylindrical peg (hence taproot). Phrase on tap "ready for use" is recorded from late 15c.

"light blow or stroke," late 14c., from tap (v.1). Tap dancer first recorded 1927, from tap (n.) in the sense of "metal plate over the heel of a shoe" (1680s).

"device to listen in secretly on telephone calls," 1923, from tap (v.2) in the "listen secretly" sense.

tap in Medicine

tap (tāp)
n.
The removal of fluid from a body cavity. v. tapped, tap·ping, taps

  1. To withdraw fluid from a body cavity, as with a trocar and cannula, hollow needle, or catheter.

  2. To strike lightly with the finger or a hammerlike instrument, as in percussion or to elicit a tendon reflex.

Slang definitions & phrases for tap

tap

noun

: Tap, also tap-off and tip-off. A jump ball. The center jump which begins the game (1980s+ Basketball)

verb
  1. To rob; burgle: Only chicks this guy taps? (1879+)
  2. To select; designate: When she was tapped for the job, Reno was in her 15th year as State Attorney for Dade County (1952+)
Related Terms

heeltap


tap in Technology


Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol


hit

Related Abbreviations for tap

TAP

  1. take a picture
  2. Technical Assistance Program
  3. Trans-Alaskan Pipeline
Idioms and Phrases with tap

tap

see: on tap