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Taper vs Undercut - What's the difference?

taper | undercut |

As nouns the difference between taper and undercut

is that taper is a slender wax candle; a small lighted wax candle; hence, a small light while undercut is a cut made in the lower part of something; the material so removed.

As verbs the difference between taper and undercut

is that taper is to make thinner or narrower at one end while undercut is to sell (something) at a lower price, or to work for lower wages, than a competitor.

taper

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) taper, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A slender wax candle; a small lighted wax candle; hence, a small light.
  • * ~1603 , William Shakespeare, ''Othello, Act I, scene I, line 157:
    • strike on the tinder, ho!/ Give me a taper .
  • * 1913 ,
    • Love used to carry a bow, you know,
    But now he carries a taper ;
    It is either a length of wax aglow,
    Or a twist of lighted paper.
  • A tapering form; gradual diminution of thickness and/or cross section in an elongated object
    • the taper of a spire.
    The legs of the table had a slight taper to them.
  • A thin stick used for lighting candles, either a wax-coated wick or a slow-burning wooden rod.
    • Derived terms
    * taperwise

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make thinner or narrower at one end.
  • * 1851 ,
    • Though true cylinders without — within, the villanous green goggling glasses deceitfully tapered downwards to a cheating bottom.
  • To diminish gradually.
    • Derived terms
    * taper off
    Synonyms
    * narrow

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (weaving) One who operates a tape machine.
  • Someone who works with tape or tapes.

    • Anagrams

    * ----

    undercut

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A cut made in the lower part of something; the material so removed.
  • The notch cut in a tree to direct its fall when being felled.
  • The underside of a sirloin of beef; the fillet.
  • A hairstyle that is shaved or clipped short on the sides and kept long on the top.

    • Verb

  • To sell (something) at a lower price, or to work for lower wages, than a competitor.
  • To create an overhang by cutting away material from underneath.
  • To undermine.
  • * July 18 2012 , Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Rises [http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-dark-knight-rises-review-batman,82624/]
    • Though Bane’s sing-song voice gives his pronouncements a funny lilt, he doesn’t have any of the Joker’s deranged wit, and Nolan isn’t interested in undercutting his seriousness for the sake of a breezier entertainment.
    English irregular past participles English irregular simple past forms English irregular verbs English past participles English verb simple past forms English verb forms using redundant wikisyntax