transitive verb tapped, tapping tap′·ping

1. to strike lightly and rapidly
2. to strike something lightly, and often repeatedly, with
3. to make or do by tapping to tap a message with the fingers
4. ☆ to choose or designate, as for membership in a club
5. to repair (a shoe) by adding a thickness of leather, etc. to the heel or sole

Etymology: ME tappen < OFr taper, prob. of echoic orig.

intransitive verb

1. to strike a light, rapid blow or a series of such blows
2. to perform a tap dance
3. to move with a tapping sound

noun

1. a light, rapid blow, or the sound made by it
2. the leather, etc. added in tapping a shoe
3. 1. a small, metal plate attached to the heel or toe of a shoe, as for tap-dancing
   2. the act or skill of tap-dancing

noun

1. a device for starting or stopping the flow of liquid in a pipe, barrel, etc.; faucet
2. a plug, cork, etc. for stopping a hole in a container holding a liquid
3. liquor of a certain kind or quality, as drawn from a certain tap
4. taproom
5. the act or an instance of draining liquid, as from a body cavity
6. a tool used to cut threads inside a nut, pipe, etc.
7. ☆ the act or an instance of wiretapping
8. Elec. a place in a circuit where a connection can be made

Etymology: ME tappe < OE tæppa, akin to Ice tappi < IE *dāp- < base *da-, to divide > tide

transitive verb tapped, tapping tap′·ping

1. to put a tap or spigot on
2. to make a hole in for drawing off liquid to tap a sugar maple
3. to pull out the tap or plug from
4. to draw (liquid) from a container, cavity, etc.
5. to draw upon; make use of to tap new resources
6. 1. to make a connection with (a water main, electrical circuit, etc.)
   2. ☆ to make a secret connection with (a telephone line) in order to overhear or record private conversations
7. to cut threads on the inner surface of (a nut, pipe, etc.)
8. Slang to borrow or get money from

Etymology: ME tappen < OE tæppian < the n.

intransitive verb