From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Tap \Tap\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Tapped}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tapping}.] [F. taper to strike; of Teutonic origin; cf. dial. G. tapp, tapps, a blow, tappe a paw, fist, G. tappen to grope.]
1. To strike with a slight or gentle blow; to touch gently; to rap lightly; to pat; as, to tap one with the hand or a cane.
2. To put a new sole or heel on; as, to tap shoes.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: the sound made by a gentle blow [syn: {pat}, {rap}]
2: a faucet for drawing water from a pipe or cask [syn: {water faucet}, {water tap}, {spigot}, {hydrant}]
3: a gentle blow [syn: {rap}, {strike}]
4: a small metal plate that attaches to the toe or heel of a shoe (as in tap dancing)
5: a tool for cutting female (internal) screw threads
6: a plug for a bunghole in a cask [syn: {spigot}]
7: the act of tapping a telephone or telegraph line to get information [syn: {wiretap}]
8: a light touch or stroke [syn: {pat}, {dab}]
verb
1: cut a female screw thread with a tap
2: draw from or dip into to get something; "tap one's memory"; "tap a source of money"
3: strike lightly; "He tapped me on the shoulder" [syn: {tip}]
4: draw from; make good use of; "we must exploit the resources we are given wisely" [syn: {exploit}]
5: tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information; "The FBI was tapping the phone line of the suspected spy"; "Is this hotel room bugged?" [syn: {wiretap}, {intercept}, {bug}]
6: furnish with a tap or spout, so as to be able to draw liquid from it; "tap a cask of wine"
7: make light, repeated taps on a surface; "he was tapping his fingers on the table impatiently" [syn: {rap}, {knock}, {pink}]
9: dance and make rhythmic clicking sounds by means of metal plates nailed to the sole of the dance shoes; "Glover tapdances better than anybody" [syn: {tapdance}]
10: draw (liquor) from a tap; "tap beer in a bar"
11: pierce in order to draw a liquid from; "tap a maple tree for its syrup"; "tap a keg of beer"
12: make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently; "Henry IV solicited the Pope for a divorce"; "My neighbor keeps soliciting money for different charities" [syn: {solicit}, {beg}] [also: {tapping}, {tapped}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: the sound of light blow or knock; "he heard the tapping of the man's cane"
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
31 Moby Thesaurus words for "tapping": aspiration, banging, blasting, bleeding, bloodletting, broaching, bursting, cracking, crashing, cupping, drafting, drainage, draining, drawing, emptying, exploding, explosive, flapping, knocking, milking, phlebotomy, pipetting, popping, pumping, rapping, siphoning, slapping, slatting, sucking, suction, venesection
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