tapas

American  

[tuhp-uhs] / ˈtʌp əs /

noun

Yoga.

1. the conditioning of the body through the proper kinds and amounts of diet, rest, bodily training, meditation, etc., to bring it to the greatest possible state of creative power.

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tapas British  

/ ˈtæpəs /

plural noun

1. 1. light snacks or appetizers, usually eaten with drinks

   2. ( as modifier )

      a tapas bar

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Etymology

Origin of tapas

First recorded in 1930–35; from Sanskrit: “penance,” literally, “heat”; akin to Latin tepēre “to be lukewarm” ( see tepid ( def. ))

Example Sentences

There are plenty of great versions here, but Tapas 24 delivers the ideal.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2025

Kanokkorn Lamlert and Patrick Moukarzel, owners of the the Thai Tapas restaurant, said they began feeling logistical strains last year as tourism rebounded after the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024

The latest is MariPili at Café Frieda inside the Frye Art Museum on First Hill, where rising star Grayson Corrales of MariPili Tapas Bar is expanding her brand with salads, sandwiches and some small plates.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023

"All the focus is on whether authorities have done enough to stabilise confidence in U.S. banks to avoid a spread of depositor flight," said Tapas Strickland, an analyst at NAB.

From Reuters • Mar. 12, 2023

Tapas is often translated penance but the idea of mortification as an expiation for sins committed, though not unknown in India, is certainly not that which underlies the austerities of most ascetics.

From Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 1 by Eliot, Charles, Sir