taps

[taps]

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. a signal by bugle or drum, sounded at night as an order to extinguish all lights, and sometimes performed as a postlude to a military funeral.

taps

/ tæps /

noun

1. 1. (in army camps, etc) a signal given on a bugle, drum, etc, indicating that lights are to be put out

   2. any similar signal, as at a military funeral

2. (in the Guide movement) a closing song sung at an evening camp fire or at the end of a meeting

Word History and Origins

Origin of taps¹

1815–25, probably tap(too) , variant of tattoo ¹ + -s ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of taps¹

C19: from _tap ¹

Example Sentences

It taps into deep human needs, helping grieving communities manage loss by providing moral clarity in the face of chaos.

From Salon

Meanwhile a proposed AI factory in northern Lincolnshire in the UK has run into objections from Anglian Water, which is responsible for keeping taps on in the area of the proposed site.

From BBC

As a latest Financial Times report found, most GCCs in Bengaluru were operating without piped water - buying tankers to keep their office taps running.

From BBC

There are only a few dozen portable toilets and 12 taps for the estimated 800 people who live here.

From BBC

He’s hoping it taps into the marketing segment known as the “kidult” — grown-ups, perhaps, who were raised on games and still cherish the thought of crowding around a “Ms. Pac-Man” console.

From Los Angeles Times