tap
tap Lexical Profile
tap Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A device by which a flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or container can be controlled.
"She turned on the tap to fill the kettle with cold water."
A light, quick blow, touch, or stroke.
"I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and turned around to see who it was."
A device connected to a telephone or communication line for the purpose of listening secretly to conversations.
"The police discovered an illegal tap on the journalist's phone line."
• verb
To strike someone or something with a quick, light blow.
"The professor began to tap his pen on the desk impatiently as he waited for an answer."
To draw liquid from a vessel, cavity, or container; figuratively, to access and make use of a resource, supply, or market.
"The technology startup plans to tap into a new demographic of younger consumers."
To connect a listening device to a communication line in order to monitor or record conversations secretly.
"The intelligence agency was accused of having tapped the ambassador's private communications."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British and Commonwealth English, 'tap' is the standard term for the plumbing device controlling water flow, whereas American English speakers primarily use 'faucet' for domestic plumbing, reserving 'tap' mostly for beer or industrial contexts.
• Rhymes for tap
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from two distinct origins: the sense of drawing liquid comes from Old English 'tæppa' (of Germanic origin), while the sense of a light blow comes from Old French 'taper', likely of imitative origin.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.