tapered

[ tey-perd ]

adjective

1. becoming gradually thinner, narrower, or smaller toward one end:

   The tapered table leg has long been a classic design.

   The wine’s bouquet hit our nostrils the moment we opened the elegantly tapered bottle.

2. reduced gradually over time:

   Once the allergic reaction had been alleviated, the patient was discharged with a tapered steroid dose and scheduled for outpatient follow-up.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of taper ¹.

Other Words From

• un·ta·pered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapered¹

First recorded in 1620–30; taper ¹( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; taper ¹( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

The JNF's terraforming projects have, in a sense, never stopped, even if intense and concerted human effort has tapered off in some areas since 1948.

From Salon

Under the party’s plans, all pensioners would receive a payment via a devolved benefit, though it would be tapered so that the wealthiest households received less.

From BBC

Jane would like to see the VAT introduction tapered to make it easier for families to "absorb the change", rather than introduced in the middle of the school year.

From BBC

The sable-coloured fedora was an update to the original featured in the first Indiana Jones film - Raiders Of The Lost Ark - with a "more tapered" crown then the first, Propstore, the auction house, said.

From BBC

But yeah, but then it sort of tapered out by the end.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cramped
• definite
• limited
• precarious
• precise
• slender
• slim
• small
• thin
• tight