wiretap

W4I1R1E1T1A1P3
UK/ˈwaɪətæp/US/ˈwaɪɚtæp/

noun

A connection installed on a telephone line or other communications system in order to allow a third party to conduct covert surveillance of conversations.

Similar
tapinterceptbug
Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounwiretap (plural wiretaps)

plural wiretaps

  1. A connection installed on a telephone line or other communications system in order to allow a third party to conduct covert surveillance of conversations.
verbwiretap (third-person singular simple present wiretaps, present participle wiretapping, simple past and past participle wiretapped)

present singular third person wiretaps · participle present wiretapping · participle past wiretapped · past wiretapped

  1. transitiveTo install or to use such a connection.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe act of tapping a telephone or telegraph line to get information

Similar
tap
Broader
investigationinvestigating

verbtap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information

Similar
tapinterceptbug
Broader
listen ineavesdrop
Also see
bugintercepttap

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Back-formation from wiretapper; or else wire + tap

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian бръ́мбар
  • бръ́мбар (brắmbar)covert connection
Chinese Mandarin 竊聽器 /窃听器
  • 竊聽器 /窃听器 (qiētīngqì)covert connection
Czech štěnice, odposlouchávat
  • štěnicecovert connection
  • odposlouchávatto install or to use such a device
Dutch aftappen
  • aftappento install or to use such a device
Finnish salakuuntelulaite, kuuntelulaite
  • salakuuntelulaitecovert connection
  • kuuntelulaitecovert connection
  • asentaa salakuuntelulaiteto install or to use such a device
  • salakuunnellato install or to use such a device
French mouchard, micro
  • mouchardcovert connection
  • microcovert connection
  • écoutecovert connection
  • poser un mouchardto install or to use such a device
  • un microto install or to use such a device
  • mettre sur écouteto install or to use such a device
German Wanze, verwanzen
  • Wanzecovert connection
  • verwanzento install or to use such a device
Greek κοριός
  • κοριός (koriós)covert connection
Italian cimice, microspia
  • cimicecovert connection
  • microspiacovert connection
  • spiareto install or to use such a device
  • intercettareto install or to use such a device
Japanese 盗聴器, 盗聴器を仕掛ける
  • 盗聴器 (tōchōki)covert connection
  • 盗聴器を仕掛ける (tōchōki wo shikakeru)to install or to use such a device
Korean 도청기, 도청장치
  • 도청기 (docheonggi)covert connection
  • 도청장치 (docheongjangchi)covert connection
  • 도청기(盜聽機)를 설치하다 (docheonggi-reul seolchihada)to install or to use such a device
  • 도청장치(盜聽裝置)를 설치하다 (docheongjangchi-reul seolchihada)to install or to use such a device
Polish pluskwa, zakładać pluskwę
  • pluskwacovert connection
  • zakładać pluskwęto install or to use such a device
  • założyć pluskwęto install or to use such a device
Portuguese grampo, grampear
  • grampocovert connection
  • grampearto install or to use such a device
Russian жучо́к, подслу́шивающее устро́йство
  • жучо́к (žučók)covert connection
  • подслу́шивающее устро́йство (podslúšivajuščeje ustrójstvo)covert connection
Swedish telefonavlyssning, telefonavlyssna
  • telefonavlyssningcovert connection
  • telefonavlyssnato install or to use such a device

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

prewait
Cite this entry
APA

wiretap. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wiretap

MLA

“wiretap.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wiretap. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wiretap,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wiretap.

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