Adjacent Words

Tap definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TAP, v.t. To strike with something small, or to strike a very gentle blow; to touch gently; as, to tap one with the hand; to tap one on the shoulder with a cane.
TAP, v.i. To strike a gentle blow. He tapped at the door.
TAP, v.t.
1. To pierce or broach a cask, and insert a tap.
2. To open a cask and draw liquor.
3. To pierce for letting out a fluid; as, to tap a tumor; to tap a dropsical person.
4. To box, or bore into; as, to tap a maple tree to obtain the sap for making sugar.
TAP, n. A gentle blow; a slight blow with a small thing.
She gives her right hand woman a tap on the shoulder.
1. A spile or pipe for drawing liquor from a cask.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the sound made by a gentle blow [syn: pat, rap, tap]
2: a gentle blow [syn: rap, strike, tap]
3: a faucet for drawing water from a pipe or cask [syn: water faucet, water tap, tap, hydrant]
4: a small metal plate that attaches to the toe or heel of a shoe (as in tap dancing)
5: a tool for cutting female (internal) screw threads
6: a plug for a bunghole in a cask [syn: tap, spigot]
7: the act of tapping a telephone or telegraph line to get information [syn: wiretap, tap]
8: a light touch or stroke [syn: tap, pat, dab] v
1: cut a female screw thread with a tap
2: draw from or dip into to get something; "tap one's memory"; "tap a source of money"
3: strike lightly; "He tapped me on the shoulder" [syn: tap, tip]
4: draw from; make good use of; "we must exploit the resources we are given wisely" [syn: exploit, tap]
5: tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information; "The FBI was tapping the phone line of the suspected spy"; "Is this hotel room bugged?" [syn: wiretap, tap, intercept, bug]
6: furnish with a tap or spout, so as to be able to draw liquid from it; "tap a cask of wine"
7: make light, repeated taps on a surface; "he was tapping his fingers on the table impatiently" [syn: tap, rap, knock, pink]
8: walk with a tapping sound
9: dance and make rhythmic clicking sounds by means of metal plates nailed to the sole of the dance shoes; "Glover tapdances better than anybody" [syn: tapdance, tap]
10: draw (liquor) from a tap; "tap beer in a bar"
11: pierce in order to draw a liquid from; "tap a maple tree for its syrup"; "tap a keg of beer"
12: make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently; "Henry IV solicited the Pope for a divorce"; "My neighbor keeps soliciting money for different charities" [syn: solicit, beg, tap]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English tappe, from Old English tæppa; akin to Old High German zapho tap Date: before 12th century 1. a. a plug for a hole (as in a cask) ; spigot b. a device consisting of a spout and valve attached to the end of a pipe to control the flow of a fluid ; faucet 2. a. a liquor drawn through a tap b. the procedure of removing fluid (as from a body cavity) 3. a tool for forming an internal screw thread 4. an intermediate point in an electric circuit where a connection may be made 5. wiretap II. transitive verb (tapped; tapping) Date: 15th century 1. to let out or cause to flow by piercing or by drawing a plug from the containing vessel <tap wine from a cask> 2. a. to pierce so as to let out or draw off a fluid <tap maple trees> b. to draw out, from, or upon <tap new sources of revenue> <the story taps powerful emotions> 3. to cut in on (as a telephone or radio signal) to get information 4. to form an internal screw thread in by means of a tap 5. to get money from as a loan or gift 6. to connect (a street gas or water main) with a local supply • tapper noun III. verb (tapped; tapping) Etymology: Middle English tappen, from Old French taper to strike with the flat of the hand, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German t?pe paw, blow dealt with the paw Date: 13th century transitive verb 1. to strike lightly especially with a slight sound 2. to give a light blow with <tap a pencil on the table> 3. to bring about by repeated light blows <tap out a story on the typewriter> 4. to repair by putting a tap on 5. select, designate <was tapped for police commissioner>; specifically to elect to membership (as in a fraternity) intransitive verb 1. to strike a light audible blow ; rap 2. to walk with light audible steps 3. tap-dance • tapper noun IV. noun Date: 14th century 1. a. a light usually audible blow; also its sound b. one of several usually rapid drumbeats on a snare drum 2. half sole 3. a small metal plate for the sole or heel of a shoe 4. tap dance 1 5. flap 7

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a device by which a flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or vessel can be controlled. 2 an act of tapping a telephone etc. 3 Brit. a taproom. 4 an instrument for cutting the thread of a female screw. --v.tr. (tapped, tapping) 1 a provide (a cask) with a tap. b let out (a liquid) by means of, or as if by means of, a tap. 2 draw sap from (a tree) by cutting into it. 3 a obtain information or supplies or resources from. b establish communication or trade with. 4 connect a listening device to (a telephone or telegraph line etc.) to listen to a call or transmission. 5 cut a female screw-thread in. Phrases and idioms: on tap 1 ready to be drawn off by tap. 2 colloq. ready for immediate use; freely available. tap root a tapering root growing vertically downwards. tap water water from a piped supply. Derivatives: tapless adj. tappable adj. Etymology: OE tæppian (v.), tæppa (n.) f. Gmc 2. v. & n. --v. (tapped, tapping) 1 intr. (foll. by at, on) strike a gentle but audible blow. 2 tr. strike lightly (tapped me on the shoulder). 3 tr. (foll. by against etc.) cause (a thing) to strike lightly (tapped a stick against the window). 4 intr. = TAP-DANCE v. (can you tap?). --n. 1 a a light blow; a rap. b the sound of this (heard a tap at the door). 2 a = TAP-DANCE n. (goes to tap classes). b a piece of metal attached to the toe and heel of a tap-dancer's shoe to make the tapping sound. 3 (in pl., usu. treated as sing.) US a a bugle call for lights to be put out in army quarters. b a similar signal at a military funeral. Derivatives: tapper n. Etymology: ME tappe (imit.), perh. through F taper

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tap Tap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tapped; p. pr. & vb. n. Tapping.] [F. taper to strike; of Teutonic origin; cf. dial. G. tapp, tapps, a blow, tappe a paw, fist, G. tappen to grope.] 1. To strike with a slight or gentle blow; to touch gently; to rap lightly; to pat; as, to tap one with the hand or a cane. 2. To put a new sole or heel on; as, to tap shoes.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tap Tap, n. [Cf. F. tape. See Tap to strike.] 1. A gentle or slight blow; a light rap; a pat. --Addison. 2. A piece of leather fastened upon the bottom of a boot or shoe in repairing or renewing the sole or heel.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tap Tap, v. i. To strike a gentle blow.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tap Tap, n. [AS. t[ae]ppa, akin to D. tap, G. zapfen, OHG. zapfo, Dan. tap, Sw. tapp, Icel. tappi. Cf. Tampion, Tip.] 1. A hole or pipe through which liquor is drawn. 2. A plug or spile for stopping a hole pierced in a cask, or the like; a faucet. 3. Liquor drawn through a tap; hence, a certain kind or quality of liquor; as, a liquor of the same tap. [Colloq.] 4. A place where liquor is drawn for drinking; a taproom; a bar. [Colloq.] 5. (Mech.) A tool for forming an internal screw, as in a nut, consisting of a hardened steel male screw grooved longitudinally so as to have cutting edges. On tap. (a) Ready to be drawn; as, ale on tap. (b) Broached, or furnished with a tap; as, a barrel on tap. Plug tap (Mech.), a screw-cutting tap with a slightly tapering end. Tap bolt, a bolt with a head on one end and a thread on the other end, to be screwed into some fixed part, instead of passing through the part and receiving a nut. See Illust. under Bolt. Tap cinder (Metal.), the slag of a puddling furnace.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tap Tap, v. t. 1. To pierce so as to let out, or draw off, a fluid; as, to tap a cask, a tree, a tumor, etc. 2. Hence, to draw from (anything) in any analogous way; as, to tap telegraph wires for the purpose of intercepting information; to tap the treasury.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Faucet Fau"cet, n. [F. fausset, perh. fr. L. fauces throat.] 1. A fixture for drawing a liquid, as water, molasses, oil, etc., from a pipe, cask, or other vessel, in such quantities as may be desired; -- called also tap, and cock. It consists of a tubular spout, stopped with a movable plug, spigot, valve, or slide. 2. The enlarged end of a section of pipe which receives the spigot end of the next section.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(taps, tapping, tapped) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A tap is a device that controls the flow of a liquid or gas from a pipe or container, for example on a sink. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use faucet) She turned on the taps. ...a cold-water tap... N-COUNT 2. If you tap something, you hit it with a quick light blow or a series of quick light blows. He tapped the table to still the shouts of protest... Grace tapped on the bedroom door and went in... VERB: V n, V adv/prep • Tap is also a noun. A tap on the door interrupted him and Sally Pierce came in. N-COUNT: usu N on/at n 3. If you tap your fingers or feet, you make a regular pattern of sound by hitting a surface lightly and repeatedly with them, especially while you are listening to music. The song's so catchy it makes you bounce round the living room or tap your feet. VERB: V n 4. If you tap a resource or situation, you make use of it by getting from it something that you need or want. He owes his election to having tapped deep public disillusion with professional politicians... The company is tapping shareholders for £15.8 million... The Campbell Soup Company says it will try to tap into Japan's rice market. VERB: V n, V n for n, V into n 5. If someone taps your telephone, they attach a special device to the line so that they can secretly listen to your conversations. The government passed laws allowing the police to tap telephones... = bug VERB: V n see also phone-tapping, wiretap • Tap is also a noun. He assured MPs that ministers and MPs were not subjected to phone taps. N-COUNT: oft n N 6. If drinks are on tap, they come from a tap rather than from a bottle. Filtered water is always on tap, making it very convenient to use. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR 7. If something is on tap, you can have as much of it as you want whenever you want. (INFORMAL) The advantage of group holidays is company on tap but time alone if you want it. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Broach. 2. Rap, strike (lightly). II. v. n. Rap. III. n. 1. Gentle blow, light stroke. 2. Spigot, plug, stopper, stopple, spile. 3. Tap-room, bar, tap-house.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A gentle blow. A tap on the shoulder;-an-arrest. To tap a girl; to be the first seducer: in allusion to a beer barrel. To tap a guinea; to get it changed.

Moby Thesaurus

Gramophone, PA, PA system, Victrola, abridge, adjutage, air hole, appoint, armhole, at hand, attend, attend to, audio sound system, audiophile, auger, auscultate, available, avenue, ball cock, ball valve, bang, bar, barroom, be all ears, beak, beat, beat a tattoo, beat the drum, beat time, beating, bend an ear, bereave, binaural system, bitch box, bite, bleed, blowhole, bob, bore, breath, broach, brush, bug, bulb, bulbil, bullet-hole, bullhorn, bump, bung, bunghole, bunt, burst, bust, caress, cartridge, catheter, ceramic pickup, changer, channel, check valve, chink, chuck, chute, clap, clash, cleave, click, clink, clop, clump, clunk, cock, cock the ears, cocktail lounge, come in contact, contact, cork, corm, count, count the beats, countersink, crack, crash, crevasse, cringle, crump, crystal pickup, curtail, cut, cut off, cut open, cutaneous sense, dab, deadeye, debouch, decant, deprive, deprive of, derived four-channel system, discrete four-channel system, disentitle, dispart, divaricate, divest, divide, door, draft, draft off, drain, drain cock, drainpipe, draw, draw cock, draw from, draw off, draw on, drill, drinkery, drum, dull thud, ease one of, eavesdrop, efflux tube, egress, empierce, empty, emunctory, escape, estuary, examine by ear, exhaust, exit, extract, eye, eyelet, faucet, feel, feel of, feeling, fillip, finger, fingertip caress, fire hose, fissure, fix, flap, flick, flip, flirt, floodgate, flop, flue pipe, flume, flump, fly open, four-channel stereo system, funnel, garden hose, gas pipe, gasket, gate, give attention, give audience to, give ear, glance, gore, gouge, gouge out, graze, groggery, grogshop, grommet, guide, hammer, hand-mindedness, handle, hark, hear, hear out, hearken, heed, hi-fi, hi-fi fan, high-fidelity, hit, hole, honeycomb, hose, hosepipe, hydrant, impale, in reserve, incise, intercept, intercom, intercommunication system, jukebox, keep time, keyhole, kiss, knock, knocking, knothole, lambency, lance, lap, lay open, lend an ear, let, let blood, let out, lick, lid, light touch, lighten one of, listen, listen at, listen in, listen to, loop, loophole, magnetic pickup, make, make use of, manhole, manipulate, milk, mine, monaural system, mono, mousehole, name, needle, needle valve, nickelodeon, nipple, nominate, on call, on hand, on tap, ope, open, open up, opening, organ pipe, out, outcome, outfall, outgate, outgo, outlet, pad, palm, palpate, part, pat, patter, paw, peck, pecking, peephole, peg, penetrate, perforate, petcock, phlebotomize, phonograph, photoelectric pickup, pick, pickup, pierce, pigeonhole, pin, pinhole, pink, pipe, pipeline, pipette, piping, pitapat, pitter-patter, placket, placket hole, play drum, plug, plump, plunk, ply, poke at, pop, pore, port, porthole, pothouse, pound, prick, prod, pub, public house, public-address system, pump, pump out, punch, punch-hole, puncture, put through channels, put to use, quadraphonic sound system, radicle, radio-phonograph combination, radix, rap, rapping, ready, ream, ream out, record changer, record player, reed, reed pipe, rent, report, rhizome, riddle, rift, rip, rive, root, rootstock, rub, ruffle, run through, sally port, sap, sea cock, sense of touch, separate, siamese, siamese connection, siphon, siphon off, sit in on, skewer, slam, slap, slat, slit, sluice, smack, smite, snap, snorkel, soil pipe, sound a tattoo, sound reproduction system, sound truck, spear, spigot, spike, spile, spill, spiracle, spit, splat, split, spout, spread, spread out, spring open, squawk box, stab, standpipe, steam pipe, stem, stereo, stick, stop, stopcock, stopgap, stopper, stopple, straw, strike, stroke, stylus, suck, suck out, swap, swing open, system, tactile sense, taction, take away from, take from, tape deck, tape recorder, tapping, taproom, taproot, tear, tear open, tentative poke, throw open, thrum, thud, thumb, thump, thwack, tick, tickle, tinkle, tip, tom-tom, tone arm, touch, transcription turntable, transfix, transpierce, trepan, trephine, tube, tuber, tubercle, tubing, tubulation, tubule, tubulet, tubulure, tunk, turn to account, turntable, twiddle, unplug, use, utilize, valve, valvula, valvule, venesect, vent, ventage, venthole, vomitory, waiting, waste pipe, water pipe, way out, weir, whack, wham, whap, whisk, whisper, whomp, whop, wield, wiretap, withdraw