| tap | 1. A hole or pipe through which liquor is drawn. 2. A plug or spile for stopping a hole pierced in a cask, or the like; a faucet. 3. Liquor drawn through a tap; hence, a certain kind or quality of liquor; as, a liquor of the same tap. 4. A place where liquor is drawn for drinking; a taproom; a bar. 5. <mechanics> A tool for forming an internal screw, as in a nut, consisting of a hardened steel male screw grooved longitudinally so as to have cutting edges. On tap. Ready to be drawn; as, ale on tap. Broached, or furnished with a tap; as, a barrel on tap. Plug tap, the slag of a puddling furnace. 1. To pierce so as to let out, or draw off, a fluid; as, to tap a cask, a tree, a tumour, etc. 2. Hence, to draw from (anything) in any analogous way; as, to tap telegraph wires for the purpose of intercepting information; to tap the treasury. 3. To draw, or cause to flow, by piercing. "He has been tapping his liquors." (Addison) 4. <mechanics> To form an internal screw in (anything) by means of a tool called a tap; as, to tap a nut. Origin: AS. Taeppa, akin to D. Tap, G. Zapfen, OHG. Zapfo, Dan. Tap, Sw. Tapp, Icel. Tappi. Cf. Tampion, Tip. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| tapayaxin | <zoology> A Mexican spinous lizard (Phrynosoma orbiculare) having a head somewhat like that of a toad. Synonym: horned toad. (01 Mar 1998) |
| tapazol | Trade name for methimazole, an antithyroid medication. (12 Dec 1998) |
| tape | 1. A narrow fillet or band of cotton or linen; a narrow woven fabric used for strings and the like; as, curtains tied with tape. 2. A tapeline; also, a metallic ribbon so marked as to serve as a tapeline; as, a steel tape. Red tape. See Red. <botany> Tape grass, a plant (Vallisneria spiralis) with long ribbonlike leaves, growing in fresh or brackish water; called also fresh water eelgrass, and, in Maryland, wild celery. Tape needle. See Bodkin. Origin: AS. Taeppe a fillet. Cf. Tapestry, Tippet. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tape recording | Recording of information on magnetic or punched paper tape. (12 Dec 1998) |
| taper | Regularly narrowed toward the point; becoming small toward one end; conical; pyramidical; as, taper fingers. Origin: Supposed to be from taper, n, in allusion to its form. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tapered bougie | A bougie with gradually increasing caliber, used to dilate strictures. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tapestry | Origin: F. Tapissere, fr. Tapisser to carpet, to hang, or cover with tapestry, fr. Tapis a carpet, carpeting, LL. Tapecius, fr. L. Tapete carpet, tapestry, Gr,. Cf. Tapis, Tippet. A fabric, usually of worsted, worked upon a warp of linen or other thread by hand, the designs being usually more or less pictorial and the stuff employed for wall hangings and the like. The term is also applied to different kinds of embroidery. Tapestry carpet, a kind of carpet, somewhat resembling Brussels, in which the warp is printed before weaving, so as to produce the figure in the cloth. Tapestry moth. <zoology> Same as Carpet moth, under Carpet. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tapetal light reflex | The glow from the eyes of some animals in the dark when a light illuminates the retina; due to the reflection of the light from the tapetum, an iridescent layer (containing guanidine crystals) in the choroid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tapeti | Origin: Braz. <zoology> A small South American hare (Lepus Braziliensis). Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tapetochoroidal | Relating to the tapetum and the choroid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tapetoretinal | Relating to the retinal pigment epithelium and the sensory retina. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tapetoretinal degeneration | A hereditary disorder of the retina mainly affecting photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium; a miscellaneous category including Friedreich's ataxia, Refsum's disease, and abetalipoproteinaemia. Synonym: primary pigmentary degeneration of retina. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tapetoretinopathy | Hereditary degeneration of the sensory retina and pigmentary epithelium; seen in pigmentary retinopathy, choroideraemia, gyrate atrophy, congenital nyctalopia, congenital amaurosis, and heredomacular degeneration. Origin: tapetum + retinopathy (05 Mar 2000) |
| tapetum | 1. <cell biology> Layer of reflective tissue just behind the pigmented retinal epithelium of many vertebrate eyes. May consist either of a layer of guanine crystals or a layer of connective tissue. In bovine eyes reflects a blue green iridescent colour. 2. <plant biology> Layer of cells in the sporangium of a vascular plant that nourishes the developing spores. (18 Nov 1997) |
| pericardial tap | Needle drainage of the pericardium, usually accompanied by placement of an indwelling catheter for continuing drainage. Synonym: pericardial tap, pericardiocentesis. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| mitral tap | The palpable equivalent of the opening snap of the mitral valve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| heel tap | A reflex movement of the toes when the heel is tapped, present in multiple sclerosis and other diseases of the pyramidal tract. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sole tap reflex | Plantar flexion of the foot and toes elicited by tapping the sole near its outer edge; has the same significance as the Rossolimo toe flexion reflex Also called Guillain-Barre, Weingrow's, or sole tap reflex. Synonym: Guillain-Barre reflex, sole tap reflex, Weingrow's reflex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spinal tap | A diagnostic procedure where a sterile needle is introduced into the lower spine (L2) to collect cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic purposes. Chemical analysis, cellular analysis and CSF pressure can all be measured with this procedure. This test can aid in the diagnosis of meningitis, subarachnoid haemorrhage and multiple sclerosis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| front-tap contraction | Contraction of the calf muscles when the anterior surface of the leg is struck. Synonym: Gowers' contraction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| front-tap reflex | Contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle when the shin is struck. Synonym: periosteal reflex. (05 Mar 2000) |