tap

¹ American  

[tap] / tæp /

verb (used with object)

tapped, tapping

1. to strike with a light but audible blow or blows; hit with repeated, slight blows.

   He tapped the door twice.

2. to make, put, etc., by tapping.

   She tapped a nail into the wall to hang a picture.

3. to strike (the fingers, a foot, a pencil, etc.) upon or against something, especially with repeated light blows.

   Stop tapping your feet!

4. Basketball. to strike (a ball in the air) in the direction of a teammate or of the basket.

5. Digital Technology.

   1. to make a selection or enter information on a touchscreen by tapping (a button, icon, or the like).

      To return to the previous page, tap the back arrow at the bottom of the screen.

   2. to enter (data) by tapping on a keyboard.

      For a breathless instant her capable fingers tapped codes into the company server.

6. to recruit, appoint, or select for a particular role or task.

   After he’d cooked there for 20 years, the restaurant owner finally tapped him for chef.

7. to add a thickness of leather to the sole or heel of (a boot or shoe), as in repairing.

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verb (used without object)

tapped, tapping

1. to strike lightly but audibly, as to attract attention (usually followed by on oragainst ).

   The prisoners communicated by tapping on their cell walls.

   The teacher tapped on the blackboard to indicate that the time was up.

2. to strike light blows.

   The geologist stopped tapping with her hammer to examine a bit of rock under a magnifying glass.

3. to type or enter information on a keyboard.

   He tapped away at his computer without looking up.

4. to perform a tap dance.

noun

1. a light, sometimes audible blow.

   I felt a tap on my shoulder.

2. the sound made by this.

3. a piece of metal attached to the toe or heel of a shoe, as for reinforcement or for making the tapping of a dancer more audible.

4. Basketball. an act or instance of tapping the ball.

   Hanson got the tap from our center, who, 6′9″ tall, couldn't lose a jump ball.

5. a thickness of leather added to the sole or heel of a boot or shoe, as in repairing.

verb phrase

1. tap out

   1. (in wrestling, karate, or the like) to acknowledge defeat by tapping on the mat.

      Finally, trapped in the chokehold, he was forced to tap out for the first time in his career.

   2. to concede or withdraw from an undertaking one feels unable to continue; quit.

      The owners have tapped out of the company after nearly 16 years, although they'll retain a minority interest.

   3. to produce by means of a series of taps.

      She tapped out the drum rhythm on the table.

      The pilot tapped out a signal in Morse code.

   4. to type or enter on a keyboard.

      He used to tap out his weekly column on an old Olivetti.

   5. to remove by tapping.

      All air bubbles should be tapped out before clamping the end of the tube.

tap ² American  

[tap] / tæp /

noun

1. a cylindrical stick, long plug, or stopper for closing an opening through which liquid is drawn, as in a cask; spigot.

2. a faucet or cock.

3. the liquor drawn through a particular tap.

4. British. a taphouse or taproom.

5. a tool for cutting screw threads into the cylindrical surface of a round opening.

6. Surgery. the withdrawal of fluid.

   spinal tap.

7. a hole made in tapping, as one in a pipe to furnish connection for a branch pipe.

8. Electricity. a connection brought out of a winding at some point between its extremities, for controlling the voltage ratio.

9. Informal. an act or instance of wiretapping.

10. Archaic. a particular kind or quality of drink.

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verb (used with object)

tapped, tapping

1. to draw liquid from (a vessel or container).

2. to draw off (liquid) by removing or opening a tap or by piercing a container.

3. to draw the tap or plug from or pierce (a cask or other container).

4. to penetrate, open up, reach into, etc., for the purpose of using something or drawing something off; begin to use.

   to tap one's resources.

5. to connect into secretly so as to receive the message or signal being transmitted (sometimes used withinto ): Here’s how to tell if your neighbor is tapping into your cable service.

   Authorities tapped his phone line, suspecting that he was a spy.

   Here’s how to tell if your neighbor is tapping into your cable service.

6. to obtain money or other resources from.

   Before attempting the project we tapped her for some quick tips on common mistakes to avoid.

   He finally decided to tap his father for a loan.

7. to furnish (a cask, container, pipe, etc.) with a tap.

8. to cut a screw thread into the surface of (an opening).

9. to open outlets from (power lines, highways, pipes, etc.).

verb phrase

1. tap off to remove (liquid, molten metal, etc.) from a keg, furnace, or the like.

   to tap off slag from a blast furnace.

2. tap out

   1. to exhaust or use up the supply of.

      If we overfish the oceans, we will tap out the resources our ancestors have relied on for thousands of years.

   2. to drain or exhaust the resources of (usually used in the passive and often followed byof ).

      When the recession hit, we were tapped out and deeply in debt.

      Sorry I can’t contribute much here—I’m all tapped out of ideas.

3. tap into

   1. to draw on or bring into play.

      You can overcome many obstacles if you just tap into the strength and skills you already possess!

   2. to access and make profitable use of.

      We are well placed to help clients tap into these emerging opportunities.

idioms

1. be tapped into, to be closely connected with or attuned to.

   He’s pretty tapped into his followers on social media.

   Her music is at its best when she’s tapped into her Trinidadian roots.

2. on tap,

   1. ready to be drawn and served, as liquor from a cask.

   2. furnished with a tap or cock, as a barrel containing liquor.

   3. Informal. ready for immediate use; available.

      There are numerous other projects on tap.

tap ¹ British  

/ tæp /

noun

1. US and Canadian name: faucet. a valve by which a fluid flow from a pipe can be controlled by opening and closing an orifice

2. a stopper to plug a cask or barrel and enable the contents to be drawn out in a controlled flow

3. a particular quality of alcoholic drink, esp when contained in casks

   an excellent tap

4. short for taproom

5. the surgical withdrawal of fluid from a bodily cavity

   a spinal tap

6. Also called: screw tap. a tool for cutting female screw threads, consisting of a threaded steel cylinder with longitudinal grooves forming cutting edges Compare die 2

7. Usual Brit name: tapping. electronics a connection made at some point between the end terminals of an inductor, resistor, or some other component

8. stock exchange

   1. an issue of a government security released slowly onto the market when its market price reaches a predetermined level

   2. ( as modifier )

      tap stock

      tap issue

9. a concealed listening or recording device connected to a telephone or telegraph wire for the purpose of obtaining information secretly

10. 1. informal ready for immediate use

    2. (of drinks) on draught

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verb

1. to furnish with a tap

2. to draw off with or as if with a tap

3. to cut into (a tree) and draw off sap from it

4. informal to ask or beg (someone) for money

   he tapped me for a fiver

5. 1. to connect a tap to (a telephone or telegraph wire)

   2. to listen in secret to (a telephone message, etc) by means of a tap

6. to make a connection to (a pipe, drain, etc)

7. to cut a female screw thread in (an object or material) by use of a tap

8. to withdraw (fluid) from (a bodily cavity)

9. informal (of a sports team or an employer) to make an illicit attempt to recruit (a player or employee bound by an existing contract)

tap ² British  

/ tæp /

verb

1. to strike (something) lightly and usually repeatedly

   to tap the table

   to tap on the table

2. (tr) to produce by striking in this way

   to tap a rhythm

3. (tr) to strike lightly with (something)

   to tap one's finger on the desk

4. (intr) to walk with a tapping sound

   she tapped across the floor

5. (tr) to attach metal or leather reinforcing pieces to (the toe or heel of a shoe)

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noun

1. a light blow or knock, or the sound made by it

2. the metal piece attached to the toe or heel of a shoe used for tap-dancing

3. short for tap-dancing See tap-dancing

4. phonetics the contact made between the tip of the tongue and the alveolar ridge as the tongue is flicked upwards in the execution of a flap or vibrates rapidly in the execution of a trill or roll

tap ³ British  

/ tæp /

noun

1. a Scot word for top 1

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tap More Idioms  

1. see on tap.

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Other Word Forms

• tappable
  adjective
• untappable
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of tap¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb tappen, tap, probably imitative; noun derivative of the verb

Origin of tap²

First recorded before 1050; Middle English noun tap(pe), tape, Old English tæppa “tapered plug used as a stopper for a cask”; cognate with Dutch tap, Old High German zapfo, Old Norse tappi; Middle English verb tappen, Old English tæppian; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch tappen, German zapfen, Old Norse tappa

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Explanation

To tap is to lightly hit something, the way you tap your friend on the shoulder to get her attention or tap your foot against the floor when you're listening to music. Your fingers tap the keyboard when you write an essay, and if you take tap dancing lessons, you'll spend time tapping your toes in tap shoes. Another kind of tap is a spigot that liquid or gas flows from, or the secret listening device a spy might use. As a verb, it can also mean "make use of," the way you tap into your sister's jar of change when you need an extra dollar or two.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tap tapped tapping

In the past, this kind of tap dance has worked.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026

The US-based energy giant struck a deal last month to take control of Papua LNG, which aims to tap into massive gas fields nestled in the forests of Papua New Guinea.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Yet investors this week began rewarding those willing to tap the breaks on heavy debt issuance.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026

First, actor Richard E Grant was so giddy to have received the tap on the shoulder that he blurted out his supposedly secret status in episode two.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

There was a tap at the door, and two or three kids in the middle of the room whispered and leaned forward to see out into the hallway.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

If the early results hold, Netanyahu could be tapped by Israel’s president to get the first chance to form a government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

As its future grows more uncertain by the day, Weil has tapped Davis Polk bankruptcy partner Brian Resnick, according to a person familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

They tapped Habba, who was still working at the Justice Department, and allegedly offered her $10 million a year for four years and at least $10 million in bonuses.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026

Although there was nothing in the files to indicate MI5 tapped his phone or intercepted his mail, some wondered why they were watching him at all.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

She wrapped a thin blanket around her shoulders, dipped her pen in the ink, tapped off the excess, and began.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

While Naidu's start-up is tapping human emotional intelligence, some entrepreneurs are using artificial intelligence to solve real-life challenges.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Several projects nearby could become economically feasible by tapping into Eni’s pipelines, although they might not have been so feasible in isolation, Brusco said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Executives usually prefer to hire someone internally, tapping a trusted lieutenant proven at navigating an organization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

“I think we’re really tapping into that desire to be hyperlocal, hyper-real and connected.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Val and Ellis had been woken before daybreak by a feeble tapping on the mill-house door.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

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Related Words

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