tapper

¹

[ tap-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that taps tap taps or strikes lightly.
2. a telegraph key.

tapper

²

[ tap-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that taps, tap, taps, as trees for the sap or juice, a blast furnace, cask, or other container for their contents, etc.
2. a person who cuts screw threads into the surface of a circular opening, as of a pipe, nut, etc.

ˈtapper

/ ˈtæpə /

noun

1. a person who taps
2. a tool or instrument that taps
3. dialect.
   an unstable and violent person

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapper¹

First recorded in 1800–10; tap ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of tapper²

before 1000; Old English tæppere (not recorded in ME); tap ², -er ¹

Example Sentences

Swimmers in the vision impaired classification often have “tappers” standing at each end of the pool.

From Los Angeles Times

It was ultimately Gregory Hines who became the defining tapper of his generation, although both brothers were undisputed masters of the craft.

From Los Angeles Times

Jill Biden said the video offers “a bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite.”

From Washington Times

Production of sneakers for fashionable Parisians has restored hope for a community of rubber tappers who labored on the verge of obsolescence with the advent of synthetic rubber.

From Seattle Times

Many rubber tapper descendants turned to logging, but when Indigenous lands were legally recognized in 2001, they were no longer permitted into those forests.

From Seattle Times