—tap /tæp/
noun (DEVICE)
B1 [C] UK (US faucet) a device that controls the flow of liquid, especially water, from a pipe:
» the hot/cold tap» Turn the tap on/off.See picture: (UK) tap/(US) faucet 
Thesaurus+: ↑Plumbing and pipes and sewage
F0 [C] UK a device that controls the flow of gas from a pipe
Thesaurus+: ↑Plumbing and pipes and sewageon tapF0 used to describe beer that is served from a barrel through a tap
Thesaurus+: ↑Beer and ciderF0 available for use at any time:
» Working in a library as I do, I have all this information on tap.Thesaurus+: ↑Available and accessible , ↑Present• • •
Extra Examples:» The water was barely dribbling out of the tap.» I still haven't got round to fixing that tap.» Some idiot left the tap running in the bathroom and there's water everywhere.» The hot tap is running cold !» There's a tray under each tap to catch the beer slops.noun [C] (HIT)
► B2 a gentle knock or touch, or the noise made by knocking something gently: » I gave her a tap on the shoulder and she turned around.» There was a tap on the window - Dad was outside!Thesaurus+: ↑Touching and feeling , ↑Showing affectionnoun [C] (PHONE)
► F0 a small piece of equipment that can be fixed to a phone in order to listen secretly to someone's phone calls: » He claims that he knew nothing of government phone taps on journalists during those years.Thesaurus+: ↑Spying and espionagenoun [C] PHONETICS (SPEECH SOUND)
► F0 a sound made by the tongue moving upwards and downwards very quickly and hitting the alveolar areanoun [U] (DANCE)
► F0 → TAP DANCING(Cf. ↑tap dancing): » He teaches tap and ballroom.verb [I or T] (-pp-) (HIT) ↑Verb Endings for tap
► B2 to hit something gently, and often repeatedly, especially making short, sharp noises: » The branches tapped against the window.» I could hear him tapping his fingers on the desk.» I was tapping my feet (= hitting the floor gently with my feet) to the music.» Someone tapped me on the shoulder.Thesaurus+: ↑Touching and feeling , ↑Showing affectionverb [T] (-pp-) (GET) ↑Verb Endings for tap
► F0 to get or make use of something: » For more than a century, Eastern cities have expanded their water supplies by tapping ever more remote sources.» There is a rich vein of literary talent here just waiting to be tapped by publishers.Thesaurus+: ↑Using and misusingverb [T] (-pp-) (PHONE) ↑Verb Endings for tap
► F0 to use a small device fixed to a phone in order to listen secretly to what people are saying: » He suspected that his phone had been tapped.Thesaurus+: ↑Amplifiers, microphones and speakersThesaurus+: ↑Spying and espionage