tapas

[ tuhp-uh s ]

/ ˈtʌp əs /

WATCH NOW: How Are Tapas Different In Spain?

WATCH NOW: How Are Tapas Different In Spain?

Yair and Mara are from Spain, but they currently live in America. When they went back to visit family and friends, we asked them to explain how tapas are different in Spain.

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noun Yoga.

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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Nearby words

tapa, tapa cloth, tapadera, tapadero, tapajós, tapas, tapazole, tape, tape deck, tape drive, tape echo

Origin of tapas

1930–35; < Sanskrit: penance, literally, heat

Definition for tapas (2 of 3)

tapa

¹

[ tah-pah ]

/ ˈtɑ pɑ /

noun Usually tapas.

(especially in Spain) a snack or appetizer, typically served with wine or beer.

Origin of tapa

¹

< Spanish: literally, cover, lid (probably < Germanic; see tap²)

Definition for tapas (3 of 3)

tapa

²

[ tah-puh, tap-uh ]

/ ˈtɑ pə, ˈtæp ə /

noun

the bark of the paper mulberry.

Also called tapa cloth. a cloth of the Pacific islands made by pounding this or similar barks flat and thin, used for clothing and floor covering.

Origin of tapa

²

Borrowed into English from Polynesian around 1815–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tapas

She and her father once owned a successful Spanish tapas restaurant in central Athens, but it went bankrupt in 2010.
A Dickensian Christmas For Greece’s New Poor|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Along with describing his farm-fresh ingredients and “figs at the peak of their ripeness” on his track “Tapas.”
2 Chainz, Snoop Lion, and More Rappers in the Kitchen|Filipa Ioannou|August 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Doug Tiller (the original Morning Glory, Mercury Espresso) is behind the 40-seat tapas lounge.
Hitch Hatched|David Frum|February 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Tapas, the epitome of Spanish culinary sophistication, is the way to go.
What to Eat: Tapas|Cookstr.com|February 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Not all tapas need to be served warm, and Tortilla Española is proof.
What to Eat: Tapas|Cookstr.com|February 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Bodily asceticism of this kind is known to the Vedas under the name of tapas.
A History of Sanskrit Literature|Arthur A. MacDonell
Hibiscus flowers or delicate ferns were dipped in these colors and impressed on the tapas in elegant designs.
White Shadows in the South Seas|Frederick O'Brien
Ere long he returned with Tapas, the sun god having declared that Varanasi would be a worthy husband for his daughter.
Indian Myth and Legend|Donald Alexander Mackenzie
She laid heavy stones on the corners of these tapas, but sometimes the stones rolled off and made the thunder.
Legends of Ma-ui--a demi god of Polynesia, and of his mother Hina|W. D. Westervelt
Tapas at the Cafe de Paris are apt to be potato salad, a few anchovies, olives, and possibly some cheese.
I'm a Stranger Here Myself|Dallas McCord Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for tapas (1 of 2)

tapas

/ (ˈtæpəs) /

pl n

light snacks or appetizers, usually eaten with drinks
(as modifier)a tapas bar

Word Origin for tapas

from Spanish tapa cover, lid

British Dictionary definitions for tapas (2 of 2)

tapa

/ (ˈtɑːpə) /

noun

the inner bark of the paper mulberry

a paper-like cloth made from this in the Pacific islands

Word Origin for tapa

C19: from Marquesan and Tahitian

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012