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Eavesdrop vs Tapping - What's the difference?

eavesdrop | tapping |

As verbs the difference between eavesdrop and tapping

is that eavesdrop is (senseid)to hear a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in while tapping is .

As nouns the difference between eavesdrop and tapping

is that eavesdrop is the dripping of rain from the eaves of a house while tapping is an act of making a light hit or strike against something.

eavesdrop

English

Verb

(eavesdropp)
  • (senseid)To hear a conversation one is not intended to hear; to listen in.
    • I hope nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation last night, since it got so personal.

    Usage notes

    To eavesdrop usually implies the listener is purposefully trying to hear the conversation of others. To (overhear) is more often accidental.

    Synonyms

    * (hear conversation one is not intended to hear) overhear

    Derived terms

    * eavesdropper

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The dripping of rain from the eaves of a house
  • The space around a house on which such water drips
  • A concealed aperture through which an occupant of a building can surreptitiously listen to people talking at an entrance to the building
  • The act of intentionally hearing a conversation not intended to be heard

    • Synonyms

    * eavesdrip

    tapping

    English

    Noun

    (wikipedia tapping) (en noun)
  • An act of making a light hit or strike against something.
  • *1897 , (Bram Stoker), (Dracula) Chapter 20
  • *:As he was speaking there was a soft tapping at the door. I went over and opened it...
  • *{{quote-news, year=2009, date=June 26, author=Alastair Macaulay, title=Leading the Audience Into Flamenco’s Heart, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=She has rapid and powerful footwork, but she doesn’t wow you with any special trills or woodpecker tappings . }}
  • (music) A guitar technique in which the strings are tapped against the fingerboard

    • Verb

    (head)