taps
noun
ˈtaps 
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: the last bugle call at night blown as a signal that lights are to be put out
also : a similar call blown at military funerals and memorial services
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Scores of small cities and towns are trucking in water because the taps have run dry. 
Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 Now, most banking tasks can be done with a few taps on a smartphone between meetings, from the comfort of your bed or on the go. Thomson Nguyen, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 About 300 miles southwest of San Antonio, water taps have run dry in a major Mexico city. Maria Aguilar, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2022 Housed in a sleek compact, this cream blush warms complexions with just a few taps of your finger. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 22 July 2022 Drivers will need to download a participating gas company’s app and log their payment information, but a few taps should authorize fueling up in the future. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 30 June 2022 Hilton is setting new standards in properties like the new Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands, which features an ultra-efficient grass roof and heating system, motion sensors on water taps and LED lighting to prevent energy waste. Diane Herbst, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 The condition of bathrooms in Boston Public Schools, and in other urban districts, has fueled public outrage for years, with broken taps and empty towel dispensers seen as sorry symbols of a failure to meet even basic needs. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2022 The city said taps in 165,000 homes and businesses lost pressure or went completely dry after a 24-inch main broke Monday. Editors, USA TODAY, 18 June 2022 See More
Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 Now, most banking tasks can be done with a few taps on a smartphone between meetings, from the comfort of your bed or on the go. Thomson Nguyen, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 About 300 miles southwest of San Antonio, water taps have run dry in a major Mexico city. Maria Aguilar, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2022 Housed in a sleek compact, this cream blush warms complexions with just a few taps of your finger. Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 22 July 2022 Drivers will need to download a participating gas company’s app and log their payment information, but a few taps should authorize fueling up in the future. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 30 June 2022 Hilton is setting new standards in properties like the new Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands, which features an ultra-efficient grass roof and heating system, motion sensors on water taps and LED lighting to prevent energy waste. Diane Herbst, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022 The condition of bathrooms in Boston Public Schools, and in other urban districts, has fueled public outrage for years, with broken taps and empty towel dispensers seen as sorry symbols of a failure to meet even basic needs. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2022 The city said taps in 165,000 homes and businesses lost pressure or went completely dry after a 24-inch main broke Monday. Editors, USA TODAY, 18 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
probably alteration of earlier taptoo tattoo — more at tattoo entry 3
First Known Use
1824, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
taps
noun plural
ˈtaps
: the last bugle call at night blown as a signal to put out the lights
Hint: Taps can be used as a singular or a plural in writing and speaking.
taps 1 of 3
verb (1)
as in drums
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically tapped her foot in time to the music kept tapping the desk with his pencil Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- drums
- claps
- bangs
- hits
- pats
- beats
- raps
- knocks
- clicks
- thumps
- pounds
- thwacks
- slams
- hammers
- bats
- whacks
- clinks
- thuds
- flicks
- socks
- smacks
- bops
- pings
- bashes
- clatters
- swats
- wallops
- bonks
- strikes
- pastes
- chucks
- tips
- pitter-patters
- chinks
- pit-a-pats
taps
2 of 3verb (2)
as in drains
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely the oil company tapped that first well completely dry Synonyms & Similar Words
- drains
- pumps
- siphons
- empties
- bleeds
- syphons
- sucks
- drafts
- cleans
- flushes
- evacuates
- milks
- exhausts
- draws (off)
- purges
- voids
- vacates
- clears
- effuses
- depletes
- vacuates
- decants
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fills
- washes
- bathes
- soaks
- waters
- drenches
- wets
- overflows
- douses
- drowns
- floods
- inundates
- souses
- submerges
- deluges
- dowses
- swamps
taps
3 of 3noun
as in valves
a fixture for controlling the flow of a liquid turn the tap to the right for cold water and to the left for hot water Synonyms & Similar Words
- valves
- faucets
- spigots
- stopcocks
- cocks
- gates
- spouts
- hydrants
- petcocks