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Taper
Definitions
- 1 Tapered; narrowing to a point.
- 1 A slender wax candle.
"Strike on the Tinder, hoa: / Giue me a Taper: […]"
- 2 One who operates a tape machine.
- 3 stick of wax with a wick in the middle wordnet
- 4 A small light. broadly
- 5 Someone who works with tape or tapes.
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- 6 a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame wordnet
- 7 A tapering form; gradual diminution of thickness and/or cross section in an elongated object.
"the taper of a spire"
- 8 the property possessed by a shape that narrows toward a point (as a wedge or cone) wordnet
- 9 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"
- 10 a convex shape that narrows toward a point wordnet
- 11 Ellipsis of machine taper. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 12 A thin stick used for lighting candles, either a wax-coated wick or a slow-burning wooden rod.
- 13 A cone-shaped item for stretching the hole for an ear gauge (piercing).
- 14 Gradual reduction over time. figuratively
"a drug taper"
- 1 To make thinner or narrower at one end. transitive
"Though true cylinders without — within, the villainous green goggling glasses deceitfully tapered downwards to a cheating bottom."
- 2 diminish gradually wordnet
- 3 To become thinner or narrower at one end. intransitive
"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 tiered or taper toward the top, 432 Park is rectangular, making it less aerodynamic."
- 4 give a point to wordnet
- 5 To diminish gradually. ambitransitive
"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."
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- 6 To tighten monetary policy. intransitive
Etymology
From 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.
From 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.
From 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.
From tape + -er.
See also for "taper"
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Unscramble this word: taper