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

Three-year-old Madeleine vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal's Praia da Luz in May 2007 while her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar.

From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025

One of three co-owners, Tatenda Mhende described the menu as “similar to Spanish tapas but with French food.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

I am a master of sitting in a hotel room and finishing some not-even-that-time-sensitive work when I should be out at a tapas bar on a nominal vacation.

From Slate • Jul. 20, 2025

We love tapas because the longer you’re married, the more you are sharing the meal.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2025

This is the Mission District, a gentrified hotbed of sushi, tapas, hip Mexican restaurants, and upscale furniture stores.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel