wiretapper

US: (wī^ər′tap′ər)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

wire•tap•per  (wī^ər′tap′ər), n. 

1. a person who taps wires to learn the nature of messages passing over them.
2. a swindler who professes to have betting tips or other information from tapped telephone wires.

• wire + tapper² 1890–95

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

wire•tap /ˈwaɪrˌtæp/   n., v., -tapped, -tap•ping. 
n. [countable]

1. Telecommunications an act or instance of making a secret connection to a telephone or telegraph wire in order to intercept conversations and gain information.

v. 

2. Telecommunications to listen in on by means of a wiretap: [~ + object]
   to wiretap conversations; to wiretap a phone.
   [no object]
   The detectives were busy wiretapping.

wire•tap•per, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

wire•tap  (wī^ər′tap′), n., v., -tapped, -tap•ping, adj. 
n. 

1. Telecommunications an act or instance of tapping telephone or telegraph wires for evidence or other information.

v.t. 

2. Telecommunications to obtain (information, evidence, etc.) by tapping telephone or telegraph wires:
   to wiretap conversations.
3. Telecommunications to listen in on by means of a wiretap:
   to wiretap a telephone; to wiretap a conversation.

v.i. 

4. Telecommunications to tap telephone or telegraph wires for evidence, information, etc.

adj. 

5. Telecommunications pertaining to or obtained by wiretap.

• back formation from wiretapper 1950–55