tapped; tapping
1
: to strike lightly especially with a slight sound
2
: to give a light blow with
tap a pencil on the table
3
: to bring about by repeated light blows
tap out a story on the laptop
4
: to repair by putting a tap on
1
a
: a light usually audible blow
also
: its sound
b
: one of several usually rapid drumbeats on a snare drum
2
: a small metal plate for the sole or heel of a shoe
4
5
1
2
a
: a liquor drawn through a tap
b
: the procedure of removing fluid (as from a body cavity)
3
: wiretap
4
: a tool for forming an internal screw thread
5
: an intermediate point in an electric circuit where a connection may be made
see also on tap
tapped; tapping
1
: to let out or cause to flow by piercing or by drawing a plug from the containing vessel
tap wine from a cask
2
a
: to pierce so as to let out or draw off a fluid
tap maple trees
b
: to draw out, from, or upon
tap new sources of revenue
the story taps powerful emotions
3
: to cut in on (something, such as a telephone or radio signal) to get information
4
: to form an internal screw thread in by means of a tap
5
: to get money from as a loan or gift
6
: to connect (a street gas or water main) with a local supply
see also tap into
Examples of tap in a Sentence
Verb (1)
tapped her foot in time to the music
kept tapping the desk with his pencil
Noun (2)
turn the tap to the right for cold water and to the left for hot water
Verb (2)
the oil company tapped that first well completely dry
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
Anderson is up for Best Director and Best Screenplay, while the movie is tapped across the Musical or Comedy categories for Best Picture, Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Actress (Infiniti), Best Supporting Actress (Teyana Taylor) and Best Supporting Actor (Benicio del Toro and Penn).
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
Matt Schooley, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Apple Valley city officials will be asking the state to pitch in $40 million this legislative session for a water-treatment plant that would ensure what’s coming out of the tap is safe to drink for future generations.
—Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tap
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Verb
Some people want to hang around the old man and tap me on the shoulder.
—Noun
With the regular season behind them, the New England Patriots and LA Chargers have a 2026 playoff showdown on tap Sunday.
—Cite this Entry
“Tap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tap. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
tap
2 of 4 verb
tapped; tapping
1
: to release or cause to flow by making a hole or by drawing a plug from a container or cavity
tap wine from a cask
2
a
: to make a hole in so as to let out or draw off a fluid
tap maple trees
b
: to draw from or upon
tap the nation's resources
tapper
noun
tap
3 of 4 verb
tapped; tapping
: to strike or cause to strike lightly especially with a slight sound
tap on a window
tap one's foot
tapper
noun
tap
4 of 4 noun1
: a light blow or its sound
2
: a small metal plate for the sole or heel of a shoe (as for tap dancing)
Etymology
Noun
Old English tæppa "a plug for a hole (as in a wine cask)"
Verb
Middle English tappen "to strike lightly, tap," from early French taper "to strike with the side of the hand"; of Germanic origin
Medical Definition
tap
1 of 4 noun
: the procedure of removing fluid (as from a body cavity) see lumbar puncture
tap
2 of 4 transitive verb
tapped; tapping
: to pierce so as to let out or draw off a fluid
tap the spine for a specimen of cerebrospinal fluid
tap
3 of 4 transitive verb
tapped; tapping
: to strike lightly especially with a slight sound
tap
4 of 4 noun
: a light usually audible blow
also
: its sound
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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