TAPPING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tapping mean? 

• TAPPING (noun)
  The noun TAPPING has 1 sense:

1. the sound of light blow or knock

  Familiarity information: TAPPING used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TAPPING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The sound of light blow or knock

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

he heard the tapping of the man's cane

Hypernyms ("tapping" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tapping"):

rat-a-tat; rat-a-tat-tat; rat-tat (a series of short sharp taps (as made by strokes on a drum or knocks on a door))

Derivation:

tap (make light, repeated taps on a surface)

 Context examples 

He sat lost in thought, tapping his fingers on the table.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The Abbot was still on his knees, when a gentle tapping at the door of his cell broke in upon his orisons.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As he was speaking there was a soft tapping at the door.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“What’s in here?” he asked, tapping the safe.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"You poor devil," he said gently, rubbing White Fang's ears and tapping his spine.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

A diagnostic test performed on a tooth by tapping on the crown with a dental instrument.

(Dental Percussion, NCI Thesaurus)

Aunt is tapping on the wall for the third time, so I must stop.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

But remember,’ he added, tapping me lightly on the chest and giggling, ‘if you speak to a human soul about this—one human soul, mind—well, may God have mercy upon your soul!

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mrs. Micawber, tapping at the wall again to know if tea were ready, broke up this particular phase of our friendly conversation.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

At last the tapping recommenced, and, to our indescribable joy and gratitude, died slowly away again until it ceased to be heard.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)