tapping

¹ American  

[tap-ing] / ˈtæp ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that taps tap taps or strikes lightly.

2. the sound produced by this.

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tapping ² American  

[tap-ing] / ˈtæp ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of tapping casks, telephone conversations, etc.

2. something that is drawn by tapping.

3. paracentesis.

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Etymology

Origin of tapping¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; tap ¹, -ing ¹

Origin of tapping²

First recorded in 1590–1600; tap ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

“Let’s get a move on, Aunt Kitty,” I said, tapping on her door.

From Literature

“He’s just sitting there tapping his Alabama national championship ring on his desk.”

From The Wall Street Journal

That will be valuable in years when tapping other accounts would push them into a higher tax bracket or force them to pay higher Medicare premiums.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many cyber chiefs, facing flat budget growth, are also redirecting labor costs into automated security tools, both to fill workforce gaps and to keep pace with hackers tapping AI to supercharge attacks, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal

Voters paid attention, tapping in time to the beat.

From Los Angeles Times

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