Tap
/tæp/noun
To strike lightly or to make a light touch or contact.
Did you know?English tap likely belongs to a Germanic sound-symbolic family, which means its sharp little meaning may have been shaped by the very noise of tapping itself.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
tæppian
“to draw off liquid; to pierce or bore a hole in a cask”
Middle English
ME
tappen
“to draw off, drain, or strike lightly”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*tappōną
“to draw off liquid; to plug or stop up”
Modern English
English
tap
“to strike lightly; a light touch or hit; a device for drawing liquid from a container”