See Also: Colon(health)
colon(2)(dictionary)
colon(medicine)
colon(1)(dictionary)
colon(dictionary)
colon(encyclopedia)
colon(dictionary)
COLON(tourism)
transverse colon(medicine)
El Salvador Colon(finance)

colon(2) (iou) and tap(3) (iou)


colon(2) (iou)



colon noun2. , in sense 2 -s. M16.
[Latin from Greek kolon limb, clause.]
In Classical Prosody & Rhetoric, (a pause of intermediate length before) a distinct section of a complex sentence or rhythmical period. In Palaeography, a clause or group of clauses written as a line or taken as a standard of measure in ancient manuscripts or texts. M16.
A punctuation mark consisting of two dots placed one above the Other (:), indicating a discontinuity of grammatical construction, though one less than that indicated by a period or full stop, and now esp. marking antithesis, illustration, quotation, or listing (sometimes with a dash :), or between numbers in a proportion, Reference, etc. See also SEMICOLON. E17.

tap(3) (iou)



tap verb1. [tap] Infl. -pp-.

verb trans. Provide (a cask etc.) with a tap. Cf. TAP noun1 1. OE.
a. verb trans. Draw (alcoholic drink) from a tap; draw and sell (alcoholic drink) in small quantities. LME.
T. H. White In the cellars of the monasteries the butlers were tapping new and old ale.
b. verb trans. Retail (any commodity). Scot. L15-E17.
c. verb intrans. Act as a tapster. Long rare or obsolete. L16.
verb trans. Open up, pierce, or break into so as to extract the contents from; spec.
a. draw liquor from (a cask, barrel, etc.);
C. Brown Maple trees..were being tapped for the sap to make maple syrup. C. Francis Technology can now tap..the sea's once inaccessible resources. Anthony Smith Most of us do not tap the potential of our..brain power. F. Popcorn Televised Religion has tapped into an intimate connection with the public.
b. Medicine & Veterinary Medicine pierce the body wall of (a person or animal) so as to draw off accumulated fluid; drain (a cavity) of accumulated fluid;
c. cut into and draw sap from (a tree);
d. fig. establish trade or communication with, obtain information, supplies, or resources from. Also foll by into. L16.
verb trans. Obtain (the contents of) a thing by tapping; draw off or let out (esp. liquid) from any source. L16.
tap a person's CLARET.
C. Chaplin He was dying of dropsy. They tapped sixteen quarts of liquid from his knee.
verb trans. Provide (a hole, bolt, etc.) with a screw-thread; spec. cut a female screw-thread in. E19.
Connect a listening device to (a telephone, telegraph line, etc.) to listen to a call or transmission. M19.
E. Fairweather She was frightened to talk..because our phone is tapped.