tap
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /tæp/
ipa: [tʰæp]
ipa: /tɐːp/
rhymes: -æp
Forms: form: taps
form: tapping
form: tapped
form: tapped
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: tap
form: tap
form: tapped
form: tap
form: tappest
form: tapped
form: tappedst
form: taps
form: tappeth
form: tapped
form: tap
form: tapped
form: tap
form: tapped
form: tap
form: -
form: tapping
form: tapped
Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English tappen, teppen (“to give (something) a knock or tap; to hit (something) lightly, pat, tap”), either:
* imitative of the making of a tapping sound; or
* from Old French tapper, taper (“to tap”) (modern French taper), from Frankish *tappōn, *dabbōn (“to strike”), or from Middle Low German tappen, tapen (“to rap, strike, tap”), both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *dab- (“to strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰebʰ- (“to beat, strike; to stun; to be speechless”). Doublet of dab.
Verb sense 1.1.1 (“to arrest (someone)”) and sense 1.6 (“to choose or designate (someone) for a duty, etc.”) allude to a police officer or other person tapping someone on their shoulder to catch their attention or to select them.
The noun is derived from Middle English tap, tappe (“light blow or hit”), and then either:
* from Middle English tappen (verb) (see above); or
* from Old French tape (“light slap or touch, pat”) (modern French tape), from tapper, taper (verb) (see above).
Cognates
* German tappen (“to fumble; to grope”)
* Icelandic tappa, tapsa, tæpta (“to tap”)
Senses: examples: text: She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
text: Let vs then get vviſdome in the guiding of all our ſpeeches, and perſvvaſions. Imitate the threſher, vvhen thou art to deale vvith thy Brother; vvho firſt Tappeth his Corne in the ſheafe, before he lay on greater ſtroakes, for elſe the good graine vvould fly into euery corner, and the ſtravv not endure the flayle: ſo, begin by degrees vvith another, and vvhen he vvill endure Tapping, then ſmite harder, or elſe thou doſt but labour in vaine.
ref: 1625, John Barlow, “Vers[e] 7. For God hath not giuen vs the Spirit of feare, but of power, and of loue, and of a sound mind.”, in An Exposition of the Second Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, the First Chapter. […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] for Iohn Bellamie, […], →OCLC, page 180:
text: I hope, continued the ſtranger, ſtroking dovvn the face of his mule vvith his left-hand as he vvas going to mount it, that you have been kind to this faithful ſlave of mine—it has carried me and my cloak-bag, continued he, tapping the mule's back, above ſix hundred leagues.
ref: 1761, [Laurence Sterne], “Slawkenbergius’s Tale”, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume IV, London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley […], →OCLC, page 17:
text: I went to bed, was tapped up as before by Bessy, assisted her to clean every thing, taking off her hands all the heaviest of the work; […]
ref: 1840, [Frederick] Marryat, “Bramble’s Method of Education Proves Very Effective. He also Points Out a Position in which You may Prefer Your Enemies to Your Friends.”, in Poor Jack. […], London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], →OCLC, page 171:
text: He did not see the sneer of contempt which passed all round the room, […] as he sate there tapping his boot with his cane, and thinking what a parcel of miserable poor devils these were.
ref: 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Between London and Chatham”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 230:
text: The pedlar stopped, and tapped her on the head
 With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed,
 And asked if peradventure she could read; […]
ref: 1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Third Book”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC, page 123:
text: Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
 And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred; […]
ref: 1906 August, Alfred Noyes, “The Highwayman”, in Poems, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., published October 1906, →OCLC, part 1, stanza III, page 46:
text: Bradly tapped the ashes from his pipe, signifying a leisured interlude over. "Time to get a move on," he said, and began to unlace his boots for wading.
ref: 1938, Norman Lindsay, chapter XIV, in Age of Consent, London: T[homas] Werner Laurie […], →OCLC, page 143:
glosses: To strike (someone or something), chiefly lightly with a clear sound, but sometimes hard.
examples: text: We are certainly scented here, and I walk about like a barrel of beer at Christmas, under hourly apprehension of being tapped!
ref: 1830, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter VIII, in Paul Clifford. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 225:
text: "You have to pack up and get out of there, girl. You could end up being tapped for that pimp's murder. The police ain't gonna hear about finding your aunt Viv. Or about Andre's butt. What are y'all going to do if they point the finger at him? If the cops over there are like they are over here, they ain't gonna look no further than the first black man they can put their hands on. They'll put his long legs under the jail."
ref: 1999 February, Charlotte Carter, Coq Au Vin, New York, N.Y.: The Mysterious Press, →ISBN, page 129:
text: "Ain't gone be no Rikers Island for you next time," I warned him. "You get tapped on another gun charge and you looking at some upstate time."
ref: 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 108:
glosses: To strike (someone or something), chiefly lightly with a clear sound, but sometimes hard.
Also in the form tap on the shoulder: to arrest (someone).
examples: text: I would tap that hot girl over there.
text: I’d tap that.
text: What does waiting get you? Sure, I know the score, Connie. You ain't never been tapped. But what are you saving it for? It's either going to be me or some other guy. Look, if I join up with the Dags I gotta have a deb that gives. If I don't, all the guys will be ranking me.
ref: 1959, Wenzell Brown, Teen-age Mafia, Greenwich, Conn.: Gold Medal Books, →OCLC, page 34:
text: Passion was wild. She was the first chick I'd been with who liked to fuck in strange places. I'd tapped that ass in the girl's bathroom in every fast food restaurant we could find.
ref: 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 138:
text: What we're entitled to is a house in the Hamptons. Maybe a prescription drug problem. But happiness does not seem to be on the menu so smoke up and seal the deal with Blair because you're also entitled to tap that ass.
ref: 2007 September 19, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, “Pilot”, in Gossip Girl, season 1, episode 1 (television series), spoken by Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick):
text: "He's handsome, isn't he? If he didn't have a girlfriend, I'd tap him for sure." "Excuse me?" Emma looked over to see who was talking to her. A woman old enough to be her mother was eyeing the band. "The lead singer. Everyone wants him." The woman parted her lips and sighed.
ref: 2016, Tabitha Levin, “Emma”, in Rock Hard (Rock Star; 2), [Australia]: Tabitha Levin, →OCLC:
text: But Sheila was in no mood for legalisms. "It never bothered you when we were married, though, did it, Denny? You and your brother cops tapping everything with a pussy. Hey, do they know? Russo and Big Monty, they know you're stirring tar?"
ref: 2017, Don Winslow, The Force, London: HarperCollinsPublishers, →ISBN, page 95:
text: "If I weren't married," Hasty says, eyeing Parker like he's a side of grass-fed organic beef and she's Michael Pollan, "I'd tap that."
ref: 2019, Julia Kent, chapter 2, in Perky (Do-over Series; 2), [Scotts Valley, Calif.]: [CreateSpace], →ISBN:
glosses: To strike (someone or something), chiefly lightly with a clear sound, but sometimes hard.
To have sexual intercourse with (someone).
synonyms: word: hit
word: wap
word: Formal terms
word: bed
word: coit
word: coitize
word: dight
word: enjoy
word: feague
word: go in unto
word: go to bed with
word: have
word: know
word: lie by
word: lie with
word: love
word: mount
word: occupy
word: penetrate
word: season
word: seduce
word: sleep with
word: take
word: Any of Thesaurus:copulate + "with"
word: Informal and slang terms
word: ball
word: bang
word: bauf
word: beep
word: be with
word: bone
word: boff
word: boink
word: bonk
word: boom-boom
word: dick
word: diddle
word: dig out
word: do
word: doink
word: drill
word: eff
word: expletive deleted
word: feck
word: fill
word: frack
word: frak
word: frick
word: frig
word: fuck
word: get into someone's pants
word: get over on
word: get up in
word: give someone one
word: give someone the time
word: go with
word: have one's way with
word: have one's wicked way with
word: hit
word: hump
word: jape
word: jump
word: jump someone's bones
word: knob
word: knock
word: knock off
word: know someone in the biblical sense
word: lay
word: love up
word: make
word: nail
word: plough
word: plug
word: poke
word: pork
word: pound
word: prig
word: pump
word: ream
word: rock
word: roger
word: root
word: run through
word: rut
word: sard
word: schlong
word: screw
word: see to
word: service
word: shaft
word: shag
word: shelve
word: slay
word: slip it to
word: smash
word: smush
word: stallionize
word: swive
word: tap
word: tup
word: wap
examples: text: Heard that, too, Rose said. A thirtyeight revolver. Only you tapped him with a rifle from a hundred yards out.
ref: 2000, Christopher Cook, Robbers, New York, N.Y.: Carroll & Graf Publishers, →ISBN, page 12:
text: Not something he worried a lot about since in his line of work, chances were better than good that he wasn't going to live that long. When your job was to step between a bullet and its intended recipient, sooner or later you were going to be tapped, for sure.
ref: 2010, Dana Marton, The Socialite and the Bodyguard, Toronto, Ont.: Harlequin Enterprises, →ISBN, page 84:
text: Fuck a tap dance niggas head get tapped
 If you not a real member you won't get a pass
ref: 2023 April 5, “Nicky Nine Door”performed by Smiley:
glosses: To strike (someone or something), chiefly lightly with a clear sound, but sometimes hard.
To shoot (someone or something) with a firearm.
examples: text: You can pay by tapping your card.
text: He was so nervous he began to tap his fingers on the table.
text: The bystanders began now to loook at each other, nod, wink significantly, and tap their fingers against their foreheads.
ref: 1819 June 23, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Rip Van Winkle”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number I, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 87:
text: At this upon the sward
 She tapt her tiny silken-sandal'd foot:
 'That's your light way; but I would make it death
 For any male thing but to peep at us.'
ref: 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Prologue”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 8:
text: The attorney had the statement of title in one hand, and leaning back in his chair, read it demurely in silence, with the other tapping the seal end of his gold pencil-case between his lips.
ref: 1864, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “Deep and Shallow”, in Wylder’s Hand. […], New York, N.Y.: Carleton, […], published 1865, →OCLC, page 262:
synonyms: word: hit
word: patter
word: pound
word: rap
word: strike
word: bang
word: baste
word: batter
word: beat
word: belabor
word: blow
word: boom-boom
word: buffet
word: butt
word: calcitrate
word: dab
word: dash
word: dowse
word: fetch one a blow
word: flap
word: give toco
word: kick
word: knock
word: hammer
word: hit
word: impact
word: jerk
word: lunge
word: patter
word: pat
word: pelt
word: pink
word: poke
word: pummel
word: punch
word: pound
word: tap
word: thrash
word: thump
word: thwack
word: rap
word: slam
word: slap
word: smite
word: strike
word: swap
word: vapulate
word: whack
word: whip
word: yerk
glosses: To (lightly) touch (a finger, foot, or other body part) on a surface, often repeatedly.
examples: Next, tap on the browser to get on the internet.
synonyms: word: hit
word: patter
word: pound
word: rap
word: strike
word: bang
word: baste
word: batter
word: beat
word: belabor
word: blow
word: boom-boom
word: buffet
word: butt
word: calcitrate
word: dab
word: dash
word: dowse
word: fetch one a blow
word: flap
word: give toco
word: kick
word: knock
word: hammer
word: hit
word: impact
word: jerk
word: lunge
word: patter
word: pat
word: pelt
word: pink
word: poke
word: pummel
word: punch
word: pound
word: tap
word: thrash
word: thump
word: thwack
word: rap
word: slam
word: slap
word: smite
word: strike
word: swap
word: vapulate
word: whack
word: whip
word: yerk
glosses: To (lightly) touch (a finger, foot, or other body part) on a surface, often repeatedly.
To lightly touch a touchscreen, usually an icon or button, to activate a function.
examples: The therapist tapped him when he was overcome by anxiety.
synonyms: word: hit
word: patter
word: pound
word: rap
word: strike
word: bang
word: baste
word: batter
word: beat
word: belabor
word: blow
word: boom-boom
word: buffet
word: butt
word: calcitrate
word: dab
word: dash
word: dowse
word: fetch one a blow
word: flap
word: give toco
word: kick
word: knock
word: hammer
word: hit
word: impact
word: jerk
word: lunge
word: patter
word: pat
word: pelt
word: pink
word: poke
word: pummel
word: punch
word: pound
word: tap
word: thrash
word: thump
word: thwack
word: rap
word: slam
word: slap
word: smite
word: strike
word: swap
word: vapulate
word: whack
word: whip
word: yerk
glosses: To (lightly) touch (a finger, foot, or other body part) on a surface, often repeatedly.
To lightly and repeatedly touch (a person or one or more body parts) as part of various forms of psychological treatment.
examples: text: Hard to believe Kimo [Leopoldo] used a triangle choke to tap [Kazushi] Sak[uraba], but 4 years can make a difference.
ref: 2000 October 14, “K®Æz¥ k ° †€°”, “Kimo Tapped Sakuraba”, in alt.ufc (Usenet):
text: Just started bjj [Brazilian jiu-jitsu] couple of months ago and i finally tapped someone!!! WOOOHOO! The guy i tapped has been traiing a few more months than me, outweighs me by at least 30 pounds, and is in great shape from the army.
ref: 2003 April 2, “Eddie”, “I Tapped Somebody!”, in rec.martial-arts (Usenet):
text: [Genki] Sudo weighed 1/4 of what Butterbean [i.e., Eric Esch] weighs and he still tapped Butterbean.
ref: 2004 April 7, “Araxen”, “UFC vs. Boxing”, in rec.sport.boxing (Usenet):
qualifier: combat sports
glosses: To force (an opponent) to submit, chiefly by indicating their intention to do so by striking a hand on the ground several times; to tap out.
examples: text: Tap the Save Image button to save the picture in your iPod touch or iPhone photo library (in the Saved Images album) or tap Cancel to cancel.
ref: 2010, Tony Bove, “Your Pocket Picture Player”, in iPod & iTunes For Dummies (For Dummies), 7th edition, Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley Publishing, →ISBN, part IV (Playing It back on Your iPod or iPhone), page 301:
text: As you type, your fingers play an idiosyn­cratic composition of keystroke rhythms on your keyboard. Similarly, the swipes and taps on your touch­screen form a living signature of your movement. The emerging field of gesture biometrics uses these movement signatures in security and other applications in interface design.
ref: 2019 July 10, Vanessa Chang, “How Phone Taps and Swipes Train Us to Be Better Consumers”, in Wired, San Francisco, Calif.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 Jun 2023:
text: Amazon says clothes racks will feature QR codes, which customers can scan to see available sizes, colors, customer ratings, and product details. Then, with a tap of a button, selected items will be sent to a fitting room to try on without having to first rummage through racks.
ref: 2022 January 20, Jon Porter, “Amazon’s First Clothing Store Lets You Summon Clothes to the Fitting Room”, in The Verge, archived from the original on 05 Jan 2024:
topics: computing
engineering
graphical-user-interface
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
coordinate_terms: swipe
click
glosses: To invoke a function on an electronic device such as a mobile phone by touching (a button, icon, or specific location on its touch screen).
examples: text: to tap shoes
glosses: To repair (an item of footwear) by putting on a new heel or sole, or a piece of material on to the heel or sole.
examples: text: He was tapped by the president to act as a special counsel.
text: One day reconnaissance informs us that the krauts have moved up their forward outposts in our sector. It could be the prelude to an attack. A patrol is organized to knock out the positions. In our platoon Kerrigan, Berner, and Thompson get tapped for service.
ref: 1949, Audie Murphy, To Hell and Back, New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, →OCLC, page 132:
text: Hardly a radical, she was more the type that got tapped for a ­student-faculty committee.
ref: 2013 January 20, Emily Bazelon, “‘My Beloved World,’ by Sonia Sotomayor”, in The New York Times Book Review, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Sep 2023:
text: 'Special Agent Hudgins,' he said, holding the door wide open. 'My office was closest to the scene so I got tapped to secure it for you Cincinnati guys. But I have to tell you, this wasn't what I expected when I got the call to come out here.'
ref: 2014, Karen Rose, Closer Than You Think, London: Headline Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 463:
text: Unbeknownst to Rosquette, the contract killer he'd just tapped for the job was an FBI informant.
ref: 2018 March 9, Drew Schwartz, “This New Yorker Hired a Hitman to ‘Take Care of’ His Noisy Neighbors, Feds Say”, in VICE, archived from the original on 07 Nov 2023:
text: With his so-called election-fraud lawsuits being thrown out left and right, the president [Donald Trump] has tapped his personal lawyer [Rudy Giuliani] to spearhead his campaign's remaining legal options. Insiders are reportedly "concerned."
ref: 2020 November 14, Charlotte Klein, “Trump Apparently Thinks Rudy Giuliani Can Save His Flailing Court Battles”, in Radhika Jones, editor, Vanity Fair, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 01 Jun 2023:
text: Valentino Taps Thai Actress Freen Sarocha as Brand Ambassador […] Thai actress Freen Sarocha has been appointed the house’s first female brand ambassador from Thailand.
ref: 2025 January 3, Sofia Celeste, “Valentino Taps Thai Actress Freen Sarocha as Brand Ambassador”, in wwd.com:
glosses: To choose or designate (someone) for a duty, an honour, membership of an organization, or a position.
examples: text: The tree was swaying in the breeze and tapping on the window pane.
text: She tapped gently at the door, and vvas anſvvered by Madame, vvho vvas alarmed at being avvakened at ſo unuſual an hour, and believed that ſome danger threatened her huſband.
ref: 1791, [Ann Radcliffe], chapter X, in The Romance of the Forest: […], volume II, London: […] T[homas] Hookham and J. Carpenter, […], →OCLC, page 82:
text: And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
 That I scarce was sure I heard you […]
ref: 1845 February, — Quarles [pseudonym; Edgar Allan Poe], “The Raven”, in The American Review, volume I, number II, New York, N.Y.; London: Wiley & Putnam, […], →OCLC, page 144:
text: Night tappeth gently at a casement gleaming
 With the thin fire light, flick'ring faint and low; […]
ref: 1849, Charles Swain, “The Three Callers”, in English Melodies, London: […] [Spottiswoode and Shaw] for Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, […], →OCLC, page 33:
text: There was a light in Ingram's windows, which were on the ground-floor; he tapped with his stick on one of the panes—an old signal that had been in constant use when he and Ingram were close companions and friends.
ref: 1873, William Black, “A New Day Breaks”, in A Princess of Thule. […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 315:
text: They heard her footsteps tap along the hard road as she stepped out to her full pace.
ref: 1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter XLIV, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume III, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the fifth (The Woman Pays), page 67:
text: A stripling, blind, with a tapping cane, came taptaptapping by Daly's window […]
ref: 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 11: Sirens]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 277:
synonyms: bang
hit
ping
rap
glosses: Often followed by at or on: to strike lightly with a clear sound; also, to make a sharp noise through this action.
examples: text: Our England for ever! Ten thouſand French, my brave Lad! I am going to tap avvay directly.
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, “The Adventures which Sophia Met with, after Her Leaving Upton”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XI, page 110:
glosses: To walk by striking the ground lightly with a clear sound.
glosses: Of a bell, a drum, etc.: to make a sharp noise, often as a signal.
qualifier: combat sports
glosses: To submit to an opponent, chiefly by indicating an intention to do so by striking a hand on the ground several times; to tap out.
examples: text: [A] Bore ſcreameth: a Hare & a Cony beateth or tappeth: a Fox barketh: […] when they ſeeke or hunt after their mates.
ref: 1575, Jacques du Fouilloux, “Of the Termes of Venery”, in George Gascoigne, transl., The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting. […], London: […] Thomas Purfoot, published 1611, →OCLC, page 240:
glosses: Of a hare or rabbit: to strike the ground repeatedly with its feet during the rutting season.
Derived terms: double tap
retap
sack-tap
tap and go
tap in
tap one's toes
tappable
tapper
tap, rack, bang
tap, rack, go
tap-tackle
tap to pay
tippy-tap
toe-tap
wrap it before you tap it