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   tap

   /tap/

   noun

   • 1. a device by which a flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or container can be controlled: "she turned the cold tap on" Similar valvespoutstopcockcockspilefaucetspigot
   • ▪ an electrical connection made to some point between the end terminals of a transformer coil or other component. British
   • 2. a device connected to a telephone for listening secretly to someone's conversations: "those taps produced hundreds of hours of recordings" Similar listening devicewiretapwirebugbugging devicehidden microphonereceiver
   • ▪ an act of listening secretly to someone's telephone conversation.
   • 3. an instrument for cutting a threaded hole in a material.
   • 4. a taproom. British

   verb

   • 1. draw liquid through the tap or spout of (a cask, barrel, or other container): "several barrels had been tapped to celebrate old victories" Similar draw liquid fromdrainbleedmilkbroachopenpiercepuncture
   • ▪ draw (liquid) from a cask, barrel, or other container: "in the cellars of the monasteries the butlers were tapping new and old ale" Similar pour (out)draw offsiphon offpump outdecantextractwithdrawremove
   • ▪ draw sap from (a tree) by cutting into it.
   • 2. exploit or draw a supply from (a resource): "clients from industry seeking to tap Edinburgh's resources of expertise" Similar draw onexploitmilkmake use ofput to useuseutilizeopen upmineturn to account
   • ▪ obtain money or information from (someone): informal "he considered whom he could tap for information"
   • 3. connect a device to (a telephone) so that conversation can be listened to secretly: "the telephones were tapped by the state security police" Similar listen in on/towiretapeavesdrop onspy onmonitoroverhearinformal:bugsnoop onget on record
   • 4. cut a thread in (something) to accept a screw: "on most vices, the metal jaws are drilled and tapped to accept screws"

   Word Origin Old Englishtæppa ‘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).

   Derivatives

   • 1. tapless adjective
   • 2. tappable adjective

   Scrabble Points: 5

   • T

     1

   • A

     1

   • P

     3

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