taper

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˈteɪpə/
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• US: /ˈteɪpɚ/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -eɪpə(ɹ)
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• homophone: tapir
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• CMU ARPABET: T EY1 P ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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From Middle English taper, from Old English tapor (“taper, candle, wick of a lamp”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Latin papyrus (“papyrus", used in Mediaeval times to mean "wick of a candle”). If so, it is a doublet of papyrus. Alternatively, of Celtic origin related to Irish tapar (“taper”), Welsh tampr (“a taper, torch”); further compare Sanskrit तपती (tápati, “(it) warms, gives out heat, is hot; (it) heats”). More at tepid. First attested before the 12th c.

From tape + -er.

116 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: тънка свещичка (tǎnka sveštička) — slender wax candle
• Danish: kærte — slender wax candle
• Danish: vokslys — slender wax candle
• Dutch: kaars — slender wax candle
• Dutch: kaarsje — slender wax candle
• French: chandelle — slender wax candle
• German: dünne Wachskerze — slender wax candle
• German: Kerze — slender wax candle
• German: Leuchterkerze — slender wax candle
• Greek: λεπτό κερί (leptó kerí) — slender wax candle
• Greek: αγιοκέρι (agiokéri) — slender wax candle
• Hungarian: vékony gyertya — slender wax candle
• Italian: smusso — slender wax candle
• Italian: stoppino — slender wax candle
• Italian: stearica — slender wax candle
• Middle English: taper — slender wax candle
• Navajo: akʼahkǫʼ níyizígíí — slender wax candle
• Plautdietsch: Taulchlicht — slender wax candle
• Russian: то́нкая све́чка (tónkaja svéčka) — slender wax candle
• Russian: све́чка (svéčka) — slender wax candle
• Swedish: vaxljus — slender wax candle
• Dutch: versmalling — tapering form
• Dutch: kegelvorm — tapering form
• Finnish: kartio — tapering form
• French: conicité — tapering form
• French: effilage — tapering form
• German: Verjüngung — tapering form
• German: Kegel — tapering form
• German: Abschrägung — tapering form
• Greek: απολέπτυνση (apoléptynsi) — tapering form
• Greek: κωνικότητα (konikótita) — tapering form
• Italian: smusso — tapering form
• Italian: conicità — tapering form
• Italian: rastrematura — tapering form
• Italian: rastremazione — tapering form
• Portuguese: conicidade — tapering form
• Portuguese: afunilamento — tapering form
• Russian: суже́ние (sužénije) — tapering form
• Slovak: zúženie — tapering form
• Slovak: kónický tvar — tapering form
• Swedish: avsmalning — tapering form
• Swedish: insnävning — tapering form
• Swedish: tapering — tapering form
• Finnish: teippaaja — one who works with tapes
• Bulgarian: заострям (zaostrjam) — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Dutch: versmallen — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Dutch: toespitsen — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Finnish: suipentaa — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• French: rétrécir — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• German: verschmälern — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• German: verjüngen — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• German: zuspitzen — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• German: abschrägen — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• German: abdrehen — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• German: anschrägen — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Greek: λεπτύνω (leptýno) — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Italian: affusolare — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Italian: affilare — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Italian: smussare — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Māori: kōekoeko — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: заостря́ть (zaostrjátʹ) — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: сужа́ть (sužátʹ) — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: утонча́ть (utončátʹ) — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: придавать уклон (pridavatʹ uklon) — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Spanish: adelgazar — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: avsmalna — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: smalna av — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: tapera — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: insnäva — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: snäva in — to make thinner or narrower at one end
• Bulgarian: заострям се (zaostrjam se) — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Finnish: suipeta — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Hungarian: vékonyodik — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Hungarian: elvékonyodik — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Hungarian: keskenyedik — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Hungarian: szűkül — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Hungarian: csúcsosodik — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Malay: runcing — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Malay: runjung — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Māori: hoka — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Māori: kāwetoweto — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: сужаться (sužatʹsja) — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: утончаться (utončatʹsja) — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: давать уклон (davatʹ uklon) — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Russian: сходить на клин (sxoditʹ na klin) — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: avsmalna — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: smalna av — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: tapera — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: insnäva — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Swedish: snäva in — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Ukrainian: зву́жуватися (zvúžuvatysja) — to become thinner or narrower at one end
• Bulgarian: изтънявам (iztǎnjavam) — to diminish gradually
• Dutch: versmallen — to diminish gradually
• Finnish: vähetä — to diminish gradually
• German: abnehmen — to diminish gradually
• German: sich verjüngen — to diminish gradually
• German: sich verengen — to diminish gradually
• German: sich zuspitzen — to diminish gradually
• German: spitz zulaufen — to diminish gradually
• Greek: απολεπτύνομαι (apoleptýnomai) — to diminish gradually
• Greek: αποξύνομαι (apoxýnomai) — to diminish gradually
• Hungarian: fogyatkozik — to diminish gradually
• Hungarian: csökken — to diminish gradually
• Hungarian: halványul — to diminish gradually
• Hungarian: elhalványul — to diminish gradually
• Italian: assottigliare — to diminish gradually
• Māori: kāwetoweto — to diminish gradually
• Māori: hōiki — to diminish gradually
• Russian: уменьшаться — to diminish gradually
• Russian: сходить на нет (sxoditʹ na net) — to diminish gradually
• Spanish: estrecharse — to diminish gradually
• Swedish: avta — to diminish gradually
• Swedish: minska — to diminish gradually
• Swedish: förminska — to diminish gradually
• Swedish: avklinga — to diminish gradually
• Finnish: kiristää — to tighten monetary policy