tapping

US: (tap′ing)

From the verb tap: (⇒ conjugate)

tapping is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tap•ping¹  (tap′ing), n. 

1. the act of a person or thing that taps or strikes lightly.
2. the sound produced by this.

• 1400–50; late Middle English; see tap¹, -ing¹

tap•ping²  (tap′ing), n. 

1. Telecommunications the act of tapping casks, telephone conversations, etc.
2. something that is drawn by tapping.
3. paracentesis.

• tap² + -ing¹ 1590–1600

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

tap¹ /tæp/   v., tapped, tap•ping, n. 
v. 

1. to strike with a light blow or blows that can just be heard: [~ + object]
   He tapped my shoulder and winked.
   [no object]
   A stranger tapped on the window.
2. to strike (the fingers, etc.) upon something, esp. with repeated light blows:
   [~ + object] He tapped his pencil on the desk.
3. to make, put, etc., by tapping:
   [~ + object] to tap a nail into a wall.
4. [no object] to tapdance.

n. [countable]

5. a light, soft blow:
   He gave the window a tap.
6. the sound made by this:
   I heard taps on the window.
7. Clothing a piece of metal attached to the toe or heel of a shoe, as for reinforcement or for making the tapping of a dancer more easily heard.

tap•per, n. [countable]

tap² /tæp/   n., v., tapped, tap•ping. 
n. [countable]

1. a plug or stopper for closing an opening through which liquid is drawn, as in a cask;
   a spigot.
2. Building a faucet:
   a hot-water tap.
3. Electricity a connection at a point between the two ends of an electrical circuit or communications device, esp. so as to be able to listen secretly to phone conversations;
   a wiretap.
4. Surgery the withdrawal of fluid from the body by a medical procedure:
   a spinal tap.

v. [~ + object]

5. to draw liquid from (a vessel, a tree, etc.):
   to tap a maple tree for sap.
6. to draw off (liquid), as by removing a tap or piercing a container.
7. to draw upon;
   begin to use:
   to tap their financial resources.
8. Telecommunications to connect into (a communications device) secretly so as to listen to or receive what is being sent:
   to tap a telephone line.

Idioms

9. Idioms on tap:
   • ready to be drawn and served, as liquor from a cask.
   • having a tap or faucet installed, as a barrel of liquor.

tap•per, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tap¹ (tap),  v., tapped, tap•ping, n. 

v.t. 

1. to strike with a light but audible blow or blows;
   hit with repeated, slight blows:
   He tapped the door twice.
2. to make, put, etc., by tapping:
   to tap a nail into a wall.
3. to strike (the fingers, a foot, a pencil, etc.) upon or against something, esp. with repeated light blows:
   Stop tapping your feet!
4. Sport [Basketball.] to strike (a ball in the air) in the direction of a teammate or of the basket.
5. Computing to enter information or produce copy by tapping on a keyboard:
   to tap data into a computer; to tap out a magazine article.
6. Clothing to add a thickness of leather to the sole or heel of (a boot or shoe), as in repairing.

v.i. 

7. to strike lightly but audibly, as to attract attention.
8. to strike light blows.
9. to tap-dance.

n. 

10. a light but audible blow:
    a tap on the shoulder.
11. the sound made by this.
12. Clothing a piece of metal attached to the toe or heel of a shoe, as for reinforcement or for making the tapping of a dancer more audible.
13. Sport [Basketball.] an act or instance of tapping the ball:
    Hanson got the tap from our center, who, 6prime;9ʺ tall, couldn't lose a jump ball.
14. Clothing a thickness of leather added to the sole or heel of a boot or shoe, as in repairing.

• 1175–1225; (verb, verbal) Middle English tappen, variant of early Middle English teppen, probably imitative; (noun, nominal) Middle English, derivative of the verb, verbal

tap′pa•ble, adj. 

tap² (tap),  n., v., tapped, tap•ping. 

n. 

1. a cylindrical stick, long plug, or stopper for closing an opening through which liquid is drawn, as in a cask;
   spigot.
2. Building a faucet or cock.
3. the liquor drawn through a particular tap.
4. British Terms a taphouse or taproom.
5. Building a tool for cutting screw threads into the cylindrical surface of a round opening.
6. Surgery the withdrawal of fluid:
   spinal tap.
7. Building a hole made in tapping, as one in a pipe to furnish connection for a branch pipe.
8. Electricity a connection brought out of a winding at some point between its extremities, for controlling the voltage ratio.
9. Telecommunications, Informal Terms [Informal.] an act or instance of wiretapping.
10. [Archaic.] a particular kind or quality of drink.
11. on tap:
    • ready to be drawn and served, as liquor from a cask.
    • furnished with a tap or cock, as a barrel containing liquor.
    • Informal Terms ready for immediate use;
      available:
      There are numerous other projects on tap.

v.t. 

12. to draw liquid from (a vessel or container).
13. to draw off (liquid) by removing or opening a tap or by piercing a container.
14. to draw the tap or plug from or pierce (a cask or other container).
15. to penetrate, open up, reach into, etc., for the purpose of using something or drawing something off;
    begin to use:
    to tap one's resources.
16. Telecommunications to connect into secretly so as to receive the message or signal being transmitted:
    to tap a telephone wire or telephone.
17. Building to furnish (a cask, container, pipe, etc.) with a tap.
18. Building to cut a screw thread into the surface of (an opening).
19. Civil Engineering to open outlets from (power lines, highways, pipes, etc.).
20. Informal Terms tap into, to gain access to;
    become friendly with:
    The candidate tapped into some wealthy supporters.
21. Metallurgy tap off, to remove (liquid, molten metal, etc.) from a keg, furnace, or the like:
    to tap off slag from a blast furnace.

• bef. 1050; (noun, nominal) Middle English tappe, Old English tæppa; cognate with Dutch tap, Old High German zapfo, Old Norse tappi; (verb, verbal) Middle English tappen, Old English tæppian; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch tappen, German zapfen, Old Norse tappa

tap′pa•ble, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tap / tæp/ verb (taps, tapping, tapped)

1. to strike (something) lightly and usually repeatedly
2. (transitive) to produce by striking in this way: to tap a rhythm
3. (transitive) to strike lightly with (something): to tap one's finger on the desk
4. to touch the screen of an electronic device as a means of inputting a command
5. (intransitive) to walk with a tapping sound
6. (transitive) to attach metal or leather reinforcing pieces to (the toe or heel of a shoe)
7. (of a sports team or an employer) to make an illicit attempt to recruit (a player or employee bound by an existing contract)

noun

1. a light blow or knock, or the sound made by it
2. an instance of touching the screen of an electronic device to enter a command
3. the metal piece attached to the toe or heel of a shoe used for tap-dancing
4. short for tap-dancing

Etymology: 13th Century tappen, probably from Old French taper, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Low German tappen to pluck, Swedish dialect täpa to tap

tap / tæp/ noun

1. a valve by which a fluid flow from a pipe can be controlled by opening and closing an orifice
   US and Canadian name: faucet
2. a stopper to plug a cask or barrel and enable the contents to be drawn out in a controlled flow
3. a particular quality of alcoholic drink, esp when contained in casks: an excellent tap
4. 
   short for taproom
5. the surgical withdrawal of fluid from a bodily cavity
6. Also called: screw tap a tool for cutting female screw threads, consisting of a threaded steel cylinder with longitudinal grooves forming cutting edges
   Compare die22
7. a connection made at some point between the end terminals of an inductor, resistor, or some other component
   Usual Brit name: tapping
8. an issue of a government security released slowly onto the market when its market price reaches a predetermined level
9. (as modifier): tap stock, tap issue
10. a concealed listening or recording device connected to a telephone or telegraph wire for the purpose of obtaining information secretly
11. on tap ⇒ ready for immediate use
12. (of drinks) on draught

verb (taps, tapping, tapped)(transitive)

1. to furnish with a tap
2. to draw off with or as if with a tap
3. to cut into (a tree) and draw off sap from it
4. to ask or beg (someone) for money: he tapped me for a fiver
5. to connect a tap to (a telephone or telegraph wire)
6. to make a connection to (a pipe, drain, etc)
7. often followed by into: to gain access to (a resource or market): to tap the student market, to tap into a pool of talent
8. to cut a female screw thread in (an object or material) by use of a tap

Etymology: Old English tæppa; related to Old Norse tappi tap, Old High German zapfo

tap / tæp/ noun , verb

1. a Scots word for top1