/ˈteɪpə/, /ˈteɪpɚ/
OriginFrom Middle English taper, from Old English tapor (“taper, candle, wick of a lamp”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Latin papyrus (“papyrus", used in Mediaeval times to mean "wick of a candle”). If so, it is a doublet of papyrus. Alternatively, of Celtic origin related to Irish tapar (“taper”), Welsh tampr (“a taper, torch”); further compare Sanskrit तपती (tápati, “(it) warms, gives out heat, is hot; (it) heats”). More at tepid.
- A slender wax candle.
“Strike on the Tinder, hoa: / Giue me a Taper: […]”
“Take not away the Taper, leaue it burning:”
“He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.”
- broadlyA small light.
- A tapering form; gradual diminution of thickness and/or cross section in an elongated object.
“the taper of a spire”
“The legs of the table had a slight taper to them.”
“Her hair hangs over her ears and flows to a taper at the back of her neck where it is held in place with a wide and circular black clasp.”
- The portion of an object with such a form.
“ensuring the cleanliness of the taper of a machine tool spindle or of a tool shank”
- abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsisEllipsis of machine taper.
- A thin stick used for lighting candles, either a wax-coated wick or a slow-burning wooden rod.
- A cone-shaped item for stretching the hole for an ear gauge (piercing).
- figurativelyGradual reduction over time.
- One who operates a tape machine.
- Someone who works with tape or tapes.
- transitiveTo make thinner or narrower at one end.
“Though true cylinders without — within, the villainous green goggling glasses deceitfully tapered downwards to a cheating bottom.”
- intransitiveTo become thinner or narrower at one end.
“Like other supertall towers, 432 Park relies on the counterweight system to address the forces of wind and reduce the feeling of swaying for residents. But unlike many other supertall towers that are ”
- ambitransitiveTo diminish gradually.
“Current major clinical practice guidelines provide little support for clinicians wishing to help patients discontinue or taper antidepressants in terms of mitigating and managing withdrawal symptoms.”
- intransitiveTo tighten monetary policy.
- Tapered; narrowing to a point.
Formstapers(plural) · tapers(present, singular, third-person) · tapering(participle, present) · tapered(participle, past) · tapered(past)