taps

T1A1P3S1
US, UK/tæps/

noun

A signal, by drum or trumpet, for extinguishing all lights in soldiers' quarters and retiring to bed, usually given about a quarter of an hour after tattoo; the signal is sometimes also given during the funeral of a soldier.

Similar
lights-out
CommonScrabble 6
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Meanings

taps1

nountaps pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlygovernmentA signal, by drum or trumpet, for extinguishing all lights in soldiers' quarters and retiring to bed, usually given about a quarter of an hour after tattoo; the signal is sometimes also given during the funeral of a soldier.
noun
  1. pluralplural of tap
verb
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of tap

TAPs2

noun
  1. pluralplural of TAP

Taps3

proper noun
  1. A bugle call played by the United States Armed Forces at dusk, during flag ceremonies, and at military funerals.

TAPS4

proper noun
  1. abbreviationacronymAcronym of Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

Synonyms & antonyms

noun(military) signal to turn the lights out

Similar
lights-out
Broader
bugle call
Also see
lights-out

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

taps · noun, noun, verb

From tap (noun) + -s. Noun 1 sense 1 (“signal for extinguishing all lights in soldiers’ quarters and retiring to bed”) is from the fact that the signal was originally made using a drum.

Full word history & related roots →

Taps · proper noun

Disputed.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish iltasoitto
  • iltasoittosignal for extinguishing all lights in soldiers’ quarters and retiring to bed

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with taps

perhapscapsappscollapsetrapslapseflapsrelapsechapssynapseslapsschnappselapseapseillapse
All rhymes →

Anagrams

pastspatATSP
Cite this entry
APA

taps. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taps

MLA

“taps.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taps. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “taps,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taps.

Source: taps on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.