tap 1 |tap|
noun
1 a device by which a flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or container can be controlled.
a device connected to a telephone used for listening secretly to someone's conversations.
an act of listening secretly to someone's telephone conversation.
(also tapping) an electrical connection made to some point between the end terminals of a transformer coil or other component.
2 an instrument for cutting a threaded hole in a material.
3 Brit. a taproom.
verb ( tapped , tapping ) [ trans. ]
1 draw liquid through the tap or spout of (a cask, barrel, or other container) : hoarse chatter of tests they had aced and kegs they had tapped.
draw (liquid) from a cask, barrel, or other container : the butlers were tapping new and old ale.
(often be tapped) connect a device to (a telephone) so that conversation can be listened to secretly : the telephones were tapped by the state security police.
informal obtain money or information from (someone) : he considered whom he could tap for information.
exploit or draw a supply from (a resource) : clients from industry seeking to tap Philadelphia's resources of expertise | [ intrans. ] these magazines have tapped into a target market of consumers.
draw sap from (a tree) by cutting into it.
2 cut a thread in (something) to accept a screw.
PHRASES
on tap ready to be poured from a tap. informal freely available whenever needed. informal on schedule to occur.
DERIVATIVES
tappable adjective
ORIGIN Old English tæppa [peg for the vent hole of a cask,] tæppian [provide (a cask) with a stopper,] of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tap and German Zapfen (nouns).
tap 2
verb ( tapped , tapping ) [ trans. ]
1 strike (someone or something) with a quick light blow or blows : one of my staff tapped me on the shoulder.
strike (something) against something else with a quick light blow or blows : Gloria was tapping her feet in time to the music.
( tap something out) produce (a rhythm) with a series of quick light blows on a surface : drums that tapped out a rumba beat.
write or enter (something) using a keyboard or keypad : he tapped out a few words on the keyboard.
2 (usu. be tapped) informal designate or select (someone) for a task or honor, esp. membership in an organization or committee : he had been tapped earlier to serve in Costa Rica.
noun
1 a quick light blow or the sound of such a blow.
2 tap dancing.
a piece of metal attached to the toe and heel of a tap dancer's shoe to make a tapping sound.
3 ( taps) [treated as sing. or pl. ] a bugle call for lights to be put out in army quarters. [ORIGIN: so named because the signal was originally sounded on a drum.]
a similar call sounded at a military funeral.
DERIVATIVES
tapper noun
ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French taper, or of imitative origin; compare with clap 1 and rap 1 .
