tap1

Pronunciation: /tap/

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Definition of tap

noun

1a device by which a flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or container can be controlled: she turned the cold tap on the air-supply tap
(also tapping) British an electrical connection made to some point between the end terminals of a transformer coil or other component.

2a device connected to a telephone for listening secretly to someone’s conversations: those taps produced hundreds of hours of recordings
an act of listening secretly to someone’s telephone conversation.

3an instrument for cutting a threaded hole in a material.

4British a taproom.

verb (taps, tapping, tapped)

[with object]

1draw liquid through the tap or spout of (a cask, barrel, or other container): several barrels had been tapped to celebrate old victories
draw (liquid) from a cask, barrel, or other container: in the cellars of the monasteries the butlers were tapping new and old ale
draw sap from (a tree) by cutting into it.

2exploit or draw a supply from (a resource):clients from industry seeking to tap Edinburgh’s resources of expertise [no object]:these magazines have tapped into a target market of consumers
informal obtain money or information from (someone):he considered whom he could tap for information

3connect a device to (a telephone) so that conversation can be listened to secretly:the telephones were tapped by the state security police

4cut a thread in (something) to accept a screw: on most vices, the metal jaws are drilled and tapped to accept screws

Phrases

on tap: ready to be poured from a tap: the hard water most of us have on tap; informal freely available whenever needed: trained staff are on tap from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; North American informal on schedule to occur: the first space walk is on tap for December

Derivatives

tapless
tappable

Origin:

Old English tæppa 'peg for the vent-hole of a cask', tæppian 'provide (a cask) with a stopper', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tap and German Zapfen (nouns)

tap in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tap in the US English dictionary

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Other

tap1

noun

verb (taps, tapping, tapped)

Phrases

on tap

Derivatives

tapless

tappable

Origin:

tap in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

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