1. A faucet for drawing water from a pipe or cask
   "He turned on the water tap to fill the kettle";
   - water faucet [N. Amer], water tap, hydrant
    
2. A light touch or stroke
   "She gave the dog an affectionate tap on the head";
   - pat, dab
    
3. A regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid from a reservoir
   "She scalded her hands when she turned on the tap and hot water came out";
   - faucet [N. Amer], spigot
    
4. The sound made by a gentle blow
   "She heard a soft tap at the window";
   - pat, rap
    
5. A gentle blow
   "A tap on the shoulder got his attention";
   - rap, strike
    
6. The act of tapping a telephone or telegraph line to get information
   "The FBI used a tap to gather evidence against the suspected criminals";
   - wiretap
    
7. (dancing) a small metal plate that attaches to the toe or heel of a shoe (as in tap dancing)
   "The dancer's taps clicked rhythmically against the wooden floor"
    
8. A tool for cutting female (internal) screw threads
   "The machinist used a tap to create threads inside the metal pipe"
    
9. A plug for a bunghole in a cask
   "He inserted the tap into the wine barrel to draw out the liquid";
   - spigot

1. Strike lightly
   "He tapped me on the shoulder";
   - tip
    
2. Make light, repeated taps on a surface
   "he was tapping his fingers on the table impatiently";
   - rap, knock, pink
    
3. Draw from or dip into to get something
   "tap one's memory"; "tap a source of money"
    
4. Draw (liquor) from a tap
   "tap beer in a bar";
   - pull [Brit, informal]
    
5. Pierce in order to draw a liquid from
   "tap a maple tree for its syrup"; "tap a keg of beer"
    
6. Secretly listen in on a communication channel (esp. a telephone) in order to get information
   "The FBI was tapping the phone line of the suspected spy";
   - wiretap, intercept, bug
    
7. Draw from; make good use of
   "we must tap the resources we are given wisely";
   - exploit
    
8. Furnish with a tap or spout, so as to be able to draw liquid from it
   "tap a cask of wine"
    
9. Walk with a tapping sound
   "Her high heels tapped across the marble floor"
    
10. [informal] Ask for or obtain money or information from someone
    "He tapped his friends for a loan"
     
11. Cut a female screw thread with a tap
    "The machinist tapped the hole to create threads for the bolt"
     
12. Dance and make rhythmic clicking sounds by means of metal plates nailed to the sole of the dance shoes
    "Glover taps better than anybody";
    - tapdance

Derived forms: tapping, tapped, taps

Type of: apply, blow, bump, cut, dance, draw, draw off, earwig [Brit, informal], eavesdrop, employ, furnish, go, investigating, investigation, listen in, offer, pierce, plate, plug, plumbing fixture, provide, regulator, render, sound, stopper, stopple, strike, supply, take out, tool, touch, touching, trip the light fantastic [archaic], trip the light fantastic toe [archaic], use, utilise [Brit], utilize, walk, withdraw

Part of: barrel, cask

Encyclopedia: Tap, Iurie