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Added 8 October 2026

taps

/tæps/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about taps at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A signal, by drum or trumpet, for extinguishing all lights in soldiers' quarters and retiring to bed, usually given about a quarter of an hour after tattoo; the signal is sometimes also given during the funeral of a soldier.

noun

plural of tap

verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of tap

Origin

From tap (noun) + -s. Noun 1 sense 1 (“signal for extinguishing all lights in soldiers’ quarters and retiring to bed”) is from the fact that the signal was originally made using a drum.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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