tapper

[ tap-er ]

/ ˈtæp ər /

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noun

a person or thing that taps or strikes lightly.

a telegraph key.

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

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Origin of tapper

First recorded in 1800–10; tap¹ + -er¹

Words nearby tapper

tapis vert, tapotement, Tappan, tap pants, Tappan Zee, tapper, tappet, tapping, tapping up, tappit-hen, taproom

Other definitions for tapper (2 of 2)

tapper²

[ tap-er ]

/ ˈtæp ər /

noun

a person or thing that taps, as trees for the sap or juice, a blast furnace, cask, or other container for their contents, etc.

a person who cuts screw threads into the surface of a circular opening, as of a pipe, nut, etc.

Origin of tapper

before 1000; Old English tæppere (not recorded in ME); see tap², -er¹

How to use tapper in a sentence

Most tree tappers know that the sap flows best in the late winter, when the nights are below freezing and the days are above freezing.
Make your own maple syrup without harming the trees|By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life|February 7, 2021|Popular-Science
Answering Tapper's question, “Under what conditions would you agree to return to the U.S.?”
Edward Snowden: Not All Spying Is Bad|Jacob Siegel|January 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
CNN and Jake Tapper got the actual emails, proving beyond a doubt that ABC and Karl were wrong.
Will ABC Finger the Liar?|Michael Tomasky|May 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
You should be aware of this scoop from Jake Tapper of CNN today.
Was the "Incriminating" Email Doctored?|Michael Tomasky|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But when Jake Tapper of CNN pointed out that Democrats controlled Congress then, Carney seemed flummoxed.
‘Imagine the Story on Fox’–Jay Carney Holds On as Winds Buffet White House|Eleanor Clift|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He is the latest ABC journalist to join CNN, after anchor John Berman and White House correspondent Jake Tapper.
Chris Cuomo Moving to CNN|Howard Kurtz|January 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If when the tapper strikes the bell at the end of the week no ear is within a hundred miles, is any sound produced?
Physics|Willis Eugene Tower
Suddenly there sounded the sharp click of the tapper as it struck the coherer.
The Story of Great Inventions|Elmer Ellsworth Burns
Had you passed him in that neighborhood you would have set him down as a wire-tapper, a racing tout, a would-be actor.
Once Upon A Time|Richard Harding Davis
At the request of Mr. Tapper Mr. Victor Falkenau made a statement to show the corrupt methods of the walking delegate.
30,000 Locked Out.|James C. Beeks
Mr. George Tapper, who was also at the meeting, said his impression of the conference was decidedly unfavorable.
30,000 Locked Out.|James C. Beeks

British Dictionary definitions for tapper

tapper

/ (ˈtæpə) /

noun

a person who taps

a tool or instrument that taps

Northern English dialect an unstable and violent person

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