tapping

¹ American  

[tap-ing] / ˈtæp ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that taps tap taps or strikes lightly.

2. the sound produced by this.

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tapping ² American  

[tap-ing] / ˈtæp ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of tapping casks, telephone conversations, etc.

2. something that is drawn by tapping.

3. paracentesis.

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Etymology

Origin of tapping¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; tap ¹, -ing ¹

Origin of tapping²

First recorded in 1590–1600; tap ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The International Energy Agency is currently assessing whether tapping reserves of oil further is needed to soften the blow from spiking prices.

From MarketWatch

I tap at his door, and keep tapping, louder and louder, until he turns.

From Literature

At nearly any moment of a day—at your coffee maker, on your computer or television, in your car, on your iPhone—you are tapping in to the legacy of Bell Labs’ work.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead of tapping naturally with your fingertips, you often have to angle your fingers awkwardly just to make contact with the screen.

From Science Daily

If we’re gonna go really deep, I didn’t even invent the music that I wrote — maybe it was written millions of years ago, and I’m just tapping into something.

From Los Angeles Times

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