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tapster

tapster

1 9.9
A person who serves beer and other drinks in a pub or inn
  • noun
  • /ˈtæpstər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : tabernero
  • It occurs to Barfoot that maybe Cartwright signaled the tapster not for more drink, but to put an end to this evening.

Examples

  • Signals to the tapster.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Line them up, tapster!

  • But the tapster puts an end to that possibility.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "You fat bag of wind!" Another tapster gleefully took up the game.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "Death?" Bloodwell the tapster repeated.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Tapster sent me.

  • The tapster served me a cold pint of beer from the barrel.

  • At the pub, the friendly tapster greeted every customer with a smile.

  • After a long day, we enjoyed the lively atmosphere created by the tapster pouring drinks behind the bar.

Synonyms

bartender
vstapster
330 2.0

A person who mixes and serves drinks at a bar or restaurant

is centered on pouring beer from kegs in taverns rather than mixing
barkeep
vstapster
  • Informal
20 6.3

A person who serves and mixes alcoholic drinks at a bar

is more about pouring beer from casks than mixing cocktails
barmaid
vstapster
  • UK
14 2.3

A woman who serves drinks at a bar or pub

is gender neutral and emphasizes pouring beer from casks in inns
barman
vstapster
  • UK
9 2.4

A man who works behind a bar serving and mixing drinks

tends to pour beer from kegs in inns rather than mixing drinks
barkeeper
vstapster
  • US
1 2.9

A person who mixes and serves alcoholic drinks at a bar

focuses on drawing beer from kegs rather than mixing drinks
tapper
vstapster
  • Archaic
1 9.1

A person who pours beer from kegs to serve people

is the traditional server who pours from casks and kegs
beer wench
vstapster
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A woman who serves beer in a pub, often wearing a costume

is similar but without the costume or playful traditional role
drinks waiter
vstapster
  • UK
2.3

A person who brings drinks to guests in a bar or at an event

works mainly at a counter drawing beer from kegs rather than serving tables

Surface Forms

tapster singular
tapsters plural

Morphology

tapster = tap (transparent) = tap + ster

The formation 'tap' + agentive suffix '-ster' straightforwardly denotes a person who taps or serves drinks, though '-ster' is somewhat archaic.

Etymology

Tapster comes from tap, the spout used to pour beer from a keg or barrel, plus the old ending -ster, which meant 'a person who does a job' and is seen in words like spinster. So a tapster is simply the person who works the tap and serves drinks.