Word: tap Part of Speech: noun 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”). Doublet of dab. Verb etymology 2, verb sense 1.1.1 (“to arrest (someone)”) and etymology 2, verb 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”) Pronunciation: /tæp/, [tʰæp], /tɐːp/ 1. A light blow or strike with a clear sound; a gentle rap; a pat; also, the sound made by such a blow or strike. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: When Steve felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned around. Example: And much greater is the wrong that rewardeth euill for good, than that which requireth tip for tap: […] 2. The smallest amount of work; a stroke of work. Labels: countable, informal, uncountable Example: For to the first floor his duties never took him, at this period, nor to the second, once he had made his bed, and swept clean his little room, which he did every morning the first thing, before coming down, on an empty stomach. Whereas Erskine never did a tap on the ground floor, but all his duties were on the first floor. Example: That put an end to work. They've hardly done a tap since. By now we should have half the season's copra stacked and ready for shipping. But you saw the plantation. Nothing done at all. 3. One of the metal pieces attached to the sole of a tap dancer's shoe at the toe and heel to cause a tapping sound. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. A shot fired from a firearm. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 5. An act of touching a button, icon, or specific location on the touch screen of an electronic device such as a mobile phone to invoke a function. Labels: countable, uncountable 6. A single muscle contraction in vocal organs causing a consonant sound; also, the sound so made. Labels: countable, uncountable 7. A piece of leather or other material fastened upon the bottom of an item of footwear when repairing the heel or sole; also (England, dialectal) the sole of an item of footwear. Labels: UK, US, countable, dialectal, uncountable Example: She had a good figure, was twenty-one, five-feet-five, hair probably brown (dyed blond), brown cloth coat, rabbit-skin collar, cotton print dress, brown calf shoes (heel taps a little run over), scuff on the right toe. 8. Ellipsis of tap dance. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable Example: Now, until you get to wearing block shoes, the same sandals do for everything except tap, and the world doesn't come to an end if you just wear your tunic knickers and a shirt for tap; but when we could get the stuff there was all that changing into rompers, and we'd special satin sandals for ballet. It was change, change, all the time. Example: As successful commercially as it was critically, Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk established Savion Glover as the new tap superstar.