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Glite Dictionary
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tapper

tapper

1 8.9
A person who secretly listens to other people's phone calls
  • noun
  • /ˈtæpər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : interceptor de comunicaciones
  • In fact, you've probably got a wire-tapper on your tail right now.

Examples

  • The detective discovered that a tapper had been monitoring their conversations for weeks.

  • Wire-tapper?

    Cyborg 2 (1993)

  • In the spy novel, the protagonist was chased by a skilled tapper who intercepted classified messages.

  • The authorities arrested a tapper for illegally accessing private telephone lines.

Synonyms

eavesdropper
vstapper
4 6.1

A person who secretly listens to other people's private conversations

relies on device attachment to lines rather than simple nearby listening
wiretapper
vstapper
1 8.6

A person who secretly listens to other people's phone calls with a hidden device

intercepts by attaching a device directly to the communication line
phone tapper
vstapper
8.9

A person who secretly listens to other people's phone calls

includes telegraph interceptions as well as telephone ones

Compounds

toe-tapper
1 5.2

A song with a lively beat that makes you want to tap your toes or dance

phone tapper
8.9

A person who secretly listens to other people's phone calls

Surface Forms

tapper singular
tappers plural

Morphology

tapper = tap (transparent) = tap + er

Standard agent-noun formation: 'tap' (to attach a listening device) + '-er' yields 'one who taps', which is directly inferable.

Etymology

Tapper comes from the verb tap, which also came to mean to 'connect to' a line or device to take information. So a telephone tapper is someone who secretly attaches a device to a line to 'listen in'.