Tap vs Drain - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between tap and drain

is that tap is a tapering cylindrical pin or peg used to stop the vent in a cask; a spigot while drain is a conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume.

As verbs the difference between tap and drain

is that tap is to furnish with taps while drain is to lose liquid.

As an initialism TAP

is initialism of lang=en.

tap

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) , from the noun.

Noun

(en noun)

A tapering cylindrical pin or peg used to stop the vent in a cask; a spigot.

A device used to dispense liquids.

We don't have bottled water; you'll have to get it from the tap .

Liquor drawn through a tap; hence, a certain kind or quality of liquor.

a liquor of the same tap

A place where liquor is drawn for drinking; a taproom; a bar.

(mechanics) A device used to cut an internal screw thread. (External screw threads are cut with a die.)

We drilled a hole and then cut the threads with the proper tap to match the valve's thread.

A connection made to an electrical or fluid conductor without breaking it.

The system was barely keeping pressure due to all of the ill-advised taps along its length.

An interception of communication by authority.

Derived terms

* taproom * taproot * tap water

Synonyms

* (device to dispense liquid) faucet, handle, spigot, spout

Verb

(tapp)

To furnish with taps.

To draw off liquid from a vessel.

He tapped a new barrel of beer.

To place a listening or recording device on a telephone or wired connection.

They can't tap the phone without a warrant.

To intercept a communication without authority.

He was known to tap cable television

(mechanical) To cut an internal screw thread.

Tap an M3 thread all the way through the hole.

Derived terms

* on tap * on the tap * tap into * tapped out

Synonyms

* (intercept communications) eavesdrop

Noun

(en noun)

Device used to listen in secretly on telephone calls.

Etymology 2

From (etyl) tappen, teppen, from (etyl) tapper, .

Verb

(tapp)

To strike lightly.

To touch one's finger, foot, or other body parts on a surface (usually) repeatedly.

He was so nervous he began to tap his fingers on the table.

She tapped her companion on the back to indicate that she was ready to go.

Lydia tapped Jim on the shoulder to get his attention.

To make a sharp noise.

The tree, swaying in the breeze, began to tap on the window pane.

To designate for some duty or for membership, as in 'a tap on the shoulder'.

(slang) To have sexual intercourse with.

I would tap that hot girl over there.

I'd tap that.

(combat sports) To submit to an opponent by tapping one's hand repeatedly.

(combat sports) To force (an opponent) to submit.

* 2000' October 14, "K®Æz¥ k ° †€°" (username), " Kimo ' Tapped Sakuraba", in alt.ufc, Usenet:

Hard to believe , but 4 years can make a difference.

* 2003' April 2, "Eddie" (username), " I ' Tapped Somebody!", in rec.martial-arts, Usenet:

Just started bjj [= couple of months ago and i finally tapped' someone!!! WOOOHOO! The guy i ' tapped has been traiing a few more months than me, outweighs me by at least 30 pounds, and is in great shape from the army.

* 2004 April 7, "Araxen" (username), " Re: UFC vs. Boxing", in rec.sport.boxing, Usenet:

weighs and he still tapped Butterbean.

To put a new sole or heel on.

to tap shoes

Synonyms

* (sense) hit, patter, pound, rap, strike * (to make a sharp noise) bang, ping, rap * (to submit to an opponent) tap out * (to force an opponent to submit) tap out

Noun

(en noun)

A gentle or slight blow; a light rap; a pat.

(Addison)

When Steve felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned around.

(computing) The act of touching a touch screen.

A piece of leather fastened upon the bottom of a boot or shoe in repairing or renewing the sole or heel; a heeltap.

(military) 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.

(Wilhelm)

Anagrams

* * * * ----

drain

English

Noun

(en noun)

A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-03, volume=101, issue=2, page=114, magazine=(American Scientist)

, author=Frank Fish, George Lauder , title= Not Just Going with the Flow , passage=An extreme version of vorticity is a vortex . The vortex is a spinning, cyclonic mass of fluid, which can be observed in the rotation of water going down a drain , as well as in smoke rings, tornados and hurricanes.}}

An access point or conduit for rainwater that drains directly downstream in a (drainage) basin without going through sewers or water treatment in order to prevent or belay floods.

Something consuming resources and providing nothing in return.

(label) An act of urination.

(label) The name of one terminal of a field effect transistor (FET).

Derived terms

* circle the drain * down the drain * drain fly

Verb

(en verb)

To lose liquid.

The clogged sink drained slowly.

To flow gradually.

The water of low ground drains off.

(ergative) To cause liquid to flow out of.

Please drain the sink. It's full of dirty water.

(ergative) To convert a perennially wet place into a dry one.

They had to drain the swampy land before the parking lot could be built.

To deplete of energy or resources.

The stress of this job is really draining me.

To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or off; hence, to exhaust.

* Francis Bacon

Fountains drain the water from the ground adjacent.

* Motley

But it was not alone that he drained their treasure and hampered their industry.

(obsolete) To filter.

* Francis Bacon

Salt water, drained through twenty vessels of earth, hath become fresh.

(pinball) To fall off the bottom of the playfield.

* 1990 , Steven A. Schwartz, Compute's Nintendo Secrets

When a ball finally drains , it's gulped down by a giant gator beneath the set of flippers.

Derived terms

* drainage * drain the lizard (vulgar)