taper

taper

a slender candle; a gradual decrease: The storm will taper off soon.

Not to be confused with:

tapir – animal resembling swine

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

ta·per

(tā′pər)

n.

1. A small or very slender candle.

2. A long wax-coated wick used to light candles or gas lamps.

3. A source of feeble light.

4.

a. A gradual decrease in thickness or width of an elongated object.

b. A gradual decrease, as in action or force.

5. Sports A period before a competition or race in which the intensity and frequency of exercise and training is decreased.

v. ta·pered, ta·per·ing, ta·pers

v. intr.

1. To become gradually narrower or thinner toward one end.

2. To diminish or lessen gradually. Often used with off: The storm finally tapered off.

3. Sports To decrease one's exercise levels before a competition or race: tapered for a week before the marathon.

v. tr.

1. To make thinner or narrower at one end.

2. To make smaller gradually.

adj.

Gradually decreasing in size toward a point.

---

[Middle English, from Old English tapor, possibly ultimately from Latin papyrus, papyrus (sometimes used for candlewicks); see paper.]

---

ta′per·ing·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

taper

(ˈteɪpə)

vb

1. to become or cause to become narrower towards one end: the spire tapers to a point.

2. (often foll by off) to become or cause to become smaller or less significant

3. (Banking & Finance) (of an amount of something, esp money) to decrease or to be decreased gradually

4. (Economics) (usually intr) (of a central bank) to reduce or decrease activity, esp the supply and regulation of credit

5. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (usually intr) (of a central bank) to reduce or decrease activity, esp the supply and regulation of credit

n

6. a thin candle

7. a thin wooden or waxed strip for transferring a flame; spill

8. a narrowing

9. (General Engineering) engineering (in conical parts) the amount of variation in the diameter per unit of length

10. any feeble source of light

[Old English tapor, probably from Latin papӯrus papyrus (from its use as a wick)]

ˈtaperer n

ˈtapering adj

ˈtaperingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ta•per¹

(ˈteɪ pər)

v.i.

1. to become smaller or thinner toward one end.

2. to grow gradually lean.

v.t.

3. to make gradually smaller toward one end.

4. to reduce gradually.

5. taper off,

a. to become gradually more slender toward one end.

b. to cease by degrees; decrease; diminish.

n.

6. gradual diminution of width or thickness in an elongated object.

7. gradual decrease of force, capacity, etc.

8. a candle, esp. a very slender one.

9. a long wick coated with wax, tallow, or the like, as for use in lighting candles or gas.

[before 900; Middle English: wax candle, Old English, variant of tapur, by dissimilation from *papur paper]

tap•er²

(ˈteɪ pər)

n.

a person who records or edits magnetic tape.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

taper

Past participle: tapered
Gerund: tapering

Imperative

taper

taper

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	taper - a convex shape that narrows toward a point convex shape, convexity - a shape that curves or bulges outward
	2.	taper - the property possessed by a shape that narrows toward a point (as a wedge or cone) narrowing - an instance of becoming narrow pointedness, point - the property of a shape that tapers to a sharp tip unpointedness - the property of having only a dull tip (if any)
	3.	taper - a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame wick candle, wax light, taper - stick of wax with a wick in the middle candlewick - the wick of a candle cord - a line made of twisted fibers or threads; "the bundle was tied with a cord" kerosene lamp, kerosine lamp, oil lamp - a lamp that burns oil (as kerosine) for light
	4.	taper - stick of wax with a wick in the middle candle, wax light candlewick - the wick of a candle chandlery - candles and other commodities sold by a chandler dip - a candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow lamp - an artificial source of visible illumination rush candle, rushlight - a tallow candle with a rush stem as the wick vigil candle, vigil light - a candle lighted by a worshiper in a church wick, taper - a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame
Verb	1.	taper - diminish gradually; "Interested tapered off" decrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
	2.	taper - give a point to; "The candles are tapered" sharpen, point change form, change shape, deform - assume a different shape or form acuminate - make sharp or acute; taper; make (something) come to a point taper off - become smaller or less active; "Business tapered off" fizzle, fizzle out, peter out, taper off - end weakly; "The music just petered out--there was no proper ending"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

taper

verb

1. narrow, thin, attenuate, come to a point, become thinner, become narrow The trunk doesn't taper very much.
narrow widen, grow, swell, increase

noun

1. candle, spill, wick, glim (old-fashioned) Singe the stems slightly with a lighted taper.

taper off decrease, dwindle, lessen, reduce, fade, weaken, wane, subside, wind down, die out, die away, thin out Immigration is beginning to taper off.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

taper

noun

The act or process of decreasing:

abatement, curtailment, cut, cutback, decrease, decrement, diminishment, diminution, drain, reduction, slash, slowdown.

verb

To grow or cause to grow gradually less.Also used with off:

abate, decrease, diminish, drain, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, peter (out), rebate, reduce, tail away (or off).

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

شَمْعَه رَفيعَه، فَتيلَه مُشَمَّعَهيَسْتَدِق

svíčkazužovat se

gøre tyndere mod endenkerte

verjüngenWachskerze

αγιοκέρικερί

kaventuakaveta

chandelleciergeeffiler

fokozatosan vékonyítviaszgyertya

mjókka í annan endannörmjótt kerti

assottigliarecandela sottilerastremare

plona žvakėsmailėjantissmailėtismailinti

kļūt smailamsašaurinātiestieva vaska svece

kjerteløpe ut i en spisstynt vokslys

zužovať sa

giderek sivrilmekince mum

细长蜡烛逐渐变细

taper

[ˈteɪpəʳ]

A. N (= spill) → astilla f; (= candle) → vela f

B. VI → afilarse, estrecharse
to taper to a point → rematar en punta

C. VT → afilar, estrechar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

taper

[ˈteɪpə^r]

n → cierge m

vi → s'effilertape-record [ˌteɪprɪˈkɔː^rd] vt → enregistrer (sur bande)tape recorder n → magnétophone mtape recording n → enregistrement m (sur bande)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

taper

n (= candle) → (dünne) Kerze

vt end of plank, stick etc → zuspitzen; edge → abschrägen; hair → spitz zuschneiden; pair of trousers → (nach unten) verengen

vi → sich zuspitzen; (vase) → sich verjüngen; (trousers) → nach unten enger werden; (hair) → (im Nacken) spitz zulaufen; to taper to a point → spitz zulaufen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

taper

[ˈteɪpəʳ]

1. n (waxed spill) → cerino; (thin candle) → candelina

2. vi (also taper off) → assottigliarsi; (trousers) → restringersi

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

taper

(ˈteipə) noun

a long, thin type of candle. dun kers شَمْعَه رَفيعَه، فَتيلَه مُشَمَّعَه свещица círio svíčka die Wachskerze kerte λεπτό κερί cerilla peenike küünal شمع باریک kynttilä cierge נֵר דָקִיק पतली मोमबत्ती tanka voštana svijeća vékony viaszgyertya lilin örmjótt kerti cero 小ろうそく 가는 양초 plona žvakė tieva vaska svece lilin tirus dunne kaars tynt vokslys, kjerte cienka świeca círio lumâ­­­nare subţire длинная, тонкая свеча sviečka voščena sveča tanka voštana sveća smalt vaxljus เทียนขนาดเล็ก ince mum 細長蠟燭 тонка воскова свічка موم بتي dây nến 细长蜡烛

verb

(sometimes with off) to make or become narrower or slimmer at one end. The leaves taper (off) to a point. dun af يَسْتَدِق заострям afilar(-se) zužovat se sich verjüngen gøre tyndere mod enden λεπταίνω στην άκρη afilarse; estrecharse otsast teravamaks tegema, kitsenema باریک شدن kaventua effiler לְהַצֵר तंग होना zašiljivati (se), tanjiti (se) fokozatosan vékonyít, szűkít; elvékonyodik meruncing mjókka í annan endann assottigliarsi 先が細くなる 끝이 점점 가늘어지다 smailėti, smailinti kļūt smailam; sašaurināties menirus spits toelopenløpe ut i en spiss zwężać się afilar(-se) a se subţia сужаться zužovať sa biti priostren sužavati se smalna av ทำให้เรียวลงหรือแคบลงทีละน้อย giderek sivrilmek 逐漸變細 звужувати(ся) в кінці باريک کرنا يا ہونا trở nên hẹp, mỏng hơn 逐渐变细

ˈtapered, ˈtapering adjective

becoming narrower or slimmer at one end. tapering fingers. afgedun مُسْتَدِق الطَّرَف заострен afilado špičatý spitz zulaufend tilspidset μυτερός, λεπτός στην άκρη afilado kitsenev, terava otsaga نوک تیز kapeneva fuselé מְצֵר नुक़ीली, सूच्याग्र stanjen, zašiljen fokozatosan vékonyodó meruncing uppmjókkandi, sem smámjókkar í annan endann affusolato 先細の 끝으로 갈수록 가늘어지는 smailėjantis konusveidīgs; nosmailināts; sašaurināts tirus; runcing spits toelopend som løper ut i en spiss zwężający się afilado alun­git сужающийся špicatý koničast koji se sužava avsmalnande, långsmal ซึ่งเรียวลงและแคบลงทีละน้อย ucuna doğru incelen parmaklar 漸漸變細的, 錐形的 загострений سوکھا ہوا hình nón, vót nhọn 渐渐变细的，锥形的

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

taper

n reducción f or disminución f gradual; vt reducir or disminuir gradualmente

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.