tapa

¹

[ tah-pah ]

noun

1. Usually tapas. (especially in Spain) a snack or appetizer, typically served with wine or beer.

tapa

²

[ tah-puh, tap-uh ]

noun

1. the bark of the paper mulberry.
2. Also called tapa cloth. a cloth of the Pacific Islands made by pounding the bark of the paper mulberry, or similar barks, flat and thin: used for clothing and floor covering.

tapa

/ ˈtɑːpə /

noun

1. the inner bark of the paper mulberry
2. a paper-like cloth made from this in the Pacific islands

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapa¹

< Spanish: literally, cover, lid (probably < Germanic; tap ² )

Origin of tapa²

Borrowed into English from Polynesian around 1815–25

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapa¹

C19: from Marquesan and Tahitian

Example Sentences

When the restaurant settled, I moved back to India and opened my first Indian cocktail bar with Indian tapas.

From Salon

Eat and drink for less with the best happy hour discounts in Los Angeles, including West African-inspired vegan cuisine, Spanish tapas, natural wines and nonalcoholic cocktails.

From Los Angeles Times

Chuku’s, which claims to be the world’s first Nigerian tapas restaurant, describes its ethos as sharing the best of Nigerian culture with feel-good vibes.

From BBC

There are plenty of cozy spaces to hide away at this Moorish-style hotel, with stunning casbah-inspired alcoves in the lobby, a library with a fireplace, and Spanish tapas and more at the wine bar Más.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s a perfectly fine cocktail,” says Bradley Stephens, co-owner of cocktail and South American tapas bar Cereus PDX in Portland, Oregon, and vice president of the Board of Directors of the US Bartenders' Guild.

From Salon