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Glite Dictionary
tap on

tap on

14 2.7
A light touch or knock to get someone's attention
  • noun
  • /tæp ɑn/
translation icon : golpecito
  • After receiving a light tap on the arm, she turned around to see who was there.
  • tap on the shoulder
  • tap on the door
  • tap on the window

It's just like a gentle tap on your wrist.

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Examples

  • You give her a little tap on the head.

    Year One (2009)

  • There was a tap on the door, and Hilda poked her head inside.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Just hey, hey, just a little tap on the shoulder, bring that attention back to me.

  • It's just like a gentle tap on your wrist.

    iJustine

  • I was ready at seven-thirty when there was a tap on my door.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I was on the verge of sleep when I thought I heard a tap on the living room window.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • As I walked to where the ladder was hooked, I got a tap on the shoulder.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Tamborel sat, staring at the floor until a light tap on his shoulder startled him up.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • You give her a little tap on the head to get her attention.

  • I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder as a friend greeted me.

Synonyms

tap
vstap on
66 1.0

A light touch or sound from a gentle hit

is a gentle knock or contact usually done with hand or small object
light touch
vstap on
4 3.9

A gentle, brief contact made with little force

is similar but implies a deliberate small striking action

Antonyms

punch
321 1.0

A strong hit with a closed fist used in fighting

slap
110 1.0

A quick sharp hit with the flat part of the hand

How Hard

to strike
553 2.4
to knock
825 1.0
tap on
14 2.7
to touch
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

tap on singular
taps on plural

Morphology

tap + on

The meaning 'a light touch or knock' is directly derivable from combining 'tap' (to lightly hit or touch) with 'on' (indicating contact or location); the particle simply specifies the target of the tap. This compositional motion/contact pattern is common across languages and follows regular English verb + particle semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Tap on comes from the simple image of someone giving a quick tap on your shoulder, window, or table to get your attention. That's why tap on means 'a light touch or knock'.