tapered

[tey-perd]

adjective

1. becoming gradually thinner, narrower, or smaller toward one end.

   The tapered table leg has long been a classic design.

   The wine’s bouquet hit our nostrils the moment we opened the elegantly tapered bottle.

2. reduced gradually over time.

   Once the allergic reaction had been alleviated, the patient was discharged with a tapered steroid dose and scheduled for outpatient follow-up.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of taper.

Other Word Forms

• untapered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapered¹

First recorded in 1620–30; taper ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; taper ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

The government is widely expected to change the two-child limit in November's Budget, with reports suggesting the Treasury is looking at different options to replace it, including a tapered system.

From BBC

The design of tapered pillars was inspired by the Palace of the Governors at Uxmal, a Maya ruin on Yucatán Peninsula dating from AD 800.

From Los Angeles Times

Harry has been wearing a patch for the past few months, but his progress has tapered off since he reached his seventh birthday.

From BBC

The two flagpoles, he posted on Truth Social, are “tall, tapered, rust proof” and of the “highest quality.”

From Salon

The rest of the lumber is rounded into a more tapered shape at the end.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cramped 
• definite 
• limited 
• precarious 
• precise 
• slender 
• slim 
• small 
• thin 
• tight