<p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) tapped, tap·ping.<ul><li>to strike with a light but audible blow or blows; hit with repeated, slight blows: He tapped the door twice.</li><li>to make, put, etc., by tapping: She tapped a nail into the wall to hang a picture.</li><li>to strike (the fingers, a foot, a pencil, etc.) upon or against something, especially with repeated light blows: Stop tapping your feet!</li><li>Basketball: to strike (a ball in the air) in the direction of a teammate or of the basket.</li><li>Digital Technology: to make a selection or enter information on a touchscreen by tapping (a button, icon, or the like): To return to the previous page, tap the back arrow at the bottom of the screen.</li><li>to enter (data) by tapping on a keyboard: For a breathless instant her capable fingers tapped codes into the company server.</li><li>to recruit, appoint, or select for a particular role or task: After he’d cooked there for 20 years, the restaurant owner finally tapped him for chef.</li><li>to add a thickness of leather to the sole or heel of (a boot or shoe), as in repairing.</li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a light, sometimes audible blow: I felt a tap on my shoulder.</li><li>the sound made by this.</li><li>a piece of metal attached to the toe or heel of a shoe, as for reinforcement or for making the tapping of a dancer more audible.</li><li>Basketball: an act or instance of tapping the ball: Hanson got the tap from our center, who, 6′9″ tall, couldn't lose a jump ball.</li><li>a thickness of leather added to the sole or heel of a boot or shoe, as in repairing.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb Phrase</strong></p><ul><li>(in wrestling, karate, or the like) to acknowledge defeat by tapping on the mat: Finally, trapped in the chokehold, he was forced to tap out for the first time in his career.</li><li>to concede or withdraw from an undertaking one feels unable to continue; quit: The owners have tapped out of the company after nearly 16 years, although they'll retain a minority interest.</li><li>to produce by means of a series of taps: She tapped out the drum rhythm on the table. The pilot tapped out a signal in Morse code.</li><li>to type or enter on a keyboard: He used to tap out his weekly column on an old Olivetti.</li><li>to remove by tapping: All air bubbles should be tapped out before clamping the end of the tube.</li></ul>