tap

verb

/tæp/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they tap	/tæp/ /tæp/
he / she / it taps	/tæps/ /tæps/
past simple tapped	/tæpt/ /tæpt/
past participle tapped	/tæpt/ /tæpt/
-ing form tapping	/ˈtæpɪŋ/ /ˈtæpɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive, transitive] to hit somebody/something quickly and lightly
- tap (away) (at something) Someone tapped at the door.
- He was busy tapping away at his computer.
- tap somebody/something Ralph tapped me on the shoulder.
- Tap the icon to open the app.
Extra Examples
- He tapped home his second goal from close range.
- She tapped the ice with a stick.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- gently
- lightly
- impatiently
- …
preposition
- against
- at
- on
- …
See full entry
[transitive, intransitive] tap (something) if you tap your fingers, feet, etc. or they tap, you hit them gently against a table, the floor, etc., for example to the rhythm of music
- He kept tapping his fingers on the table.
- The music set everyone's feet tapping.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- gently
- lightly
- impatiently
- …
preposition
- against
- at
- on
- …
See full entry
[transitive, intransitive] to make use of a source of energy, knowledge, etc. that already exists
- tap something We need to tap the expertise of the people we already have.
- tap into something The movie seems to tap into a general sentimentality about animals.
[transitive] tap something (especially British English) to fit a device to a phone so that somebody’s calls can be listened to secretly
- He was convinced his phone was being tapped.
see also wiretapping
[transitive] tap something to cut into a tree in order to get liquid from it
[transitive, usually passive] tap somebody (North American English) to choose somebody to do a particular job
- Richards has been tapped to replace the retiring chairperson.
[transitive] tap something (phonetics) to produce a tap (6) synonym flap

Word Originverb senses 1 to 2 and verb sense 6 Middle English: from Old French taper, or of imitative origin; compare with the verb clap and rap. verb senses 3 to 5 Old English tæppa ‘peg for the vent-hole of a cask’, tæppian ‘provide (a cask) with a stopper’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tap and German, Zapfen (nouns).

tap

noun

/tæp/

Idioms

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(especially British English)
(North American English usually faucet)
[countable] a device for controlling the flow of water from a pipe into a bath or sink
- bath taps
- the hot/cold tap (= the tap that hot/cold water comes out of)
- Turn the tap on/off.
- Don't leave the tap running.
- You have to run the tap a long time before the hot water comes.
- the sound of a dripping tap
- I put my head under the tap and let the cool water run over me.
see also tap water
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- hot
- hot-water
- cold
- …
verb + tap
- turn
- turn off
- turn on
- …
tap + verb
- drip
- run
- leak
- …
tap + noun
- water
- washer
See full entry
[countable] a device for controlling the flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or container
- a gas tap
- beer taps
see also spinal tap
[countable] a light hit with your hand or fingers
- tap on something He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned round.
- tap at something a tap at the door
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- gentle
- light
- little
- …
verb + tap
- give somebody/something
- feel
- hear
- …
preposition
- tap at
- tap on
See full entry
[countable] an act of fitting a device to a phone so that somebody’s phone calls can be listened to secretly
- a phone tap
(also tap-dancing)
[uncountable] a style of dancing in which you tap to the rhythm of the music with your feet, wearing special shoes with pieces of metal on the heels and toes
(also flap)
[countable] (phonetics) a speech sound that is produced by striking the tongue quickly and lightly against the part of the mouth behind the upper front teeth. The ‘t’ in later in American English is an example of a tap. Topics Languagec2

Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 and noun sense 4 Old English tæppa ‘peg for the vent-hole of a cask’, tæppian ‘provide (a cask) with a stopper’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tap and German, Zapfen (nouns). noun sense 3 and noun sense 5 Middle English: from Old French taper, or of imitative origin; compare with the verb clap and rap.

Idioms

on tap

available to be used at any time
- We have this sort of information on tap.
beer that is on tap is in a barrel with a tap on it
- The pub has two sorts of beer on tap.
(North American English) something that is on tap is being discussed or prepared and will happen soon