- to become or cause to become narrower towards one end
- (often followed by off) to become or cause to become smaller or less significant
- a thin candle
- a thin wooden or waxed strip for transferring a flame; spill
- a narrowing
- any feeble source of light
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ta•per1 /ˈteɪpɚ/USA pronunciation
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to (cause to) become thinner toward one end: [no object]The shirt tapered at the waist.[~ + object]to taper the shirt at the waist.
- taper off, [no object]
- to become gradually more slender toward one end.
- to be reduced by degrees;
decrease;
diminish:The snow will taper off at about midnight.
n. [countable]
- a candle, esp. a very slender one.
ta•per1
(tā′pər),USA pronunciation v.i.
v.t.
n.
ta′per•er, n.
ta′per•ing•ly, adv.
tap•er2 (tā′pər),USA pronunciation n.
- to become smaller or thinner toward one end.
- to grow gradually lean.
v.t.
- to make gradually smaller toward one end.
- to reduce gradually.
- taper off:
- to become gradually more slender toward one end.
- to cease by degrees;
decrease;
diminish:The storm is beginning to taper off now. I haven't stopped smoking entirely, but I'm tapering off to three cigarettes a day.
n.
- gradual diminution of width or thickness in an elongated object.
- gradual decrease of force, capacity, etc.
- anything having a tapering form, as a spire or obelisk.
- a candle, esp. a very slender one.
- a long wick coated with wax, tallow, or the like, as for use in lighting candles or gas.
- Middle English: wax candle, Old English, variant of tapur, dissimilated variant of *papur paper bef. 900
ta′per•ing•ly, adv.
tap•er2 (tā′pər),USA pronunciation n.
- a person who records or edits magnetic tape, videotape, etc.
- tape + -er1
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
taper /ˈteɪpə/ vb
'tapering' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
apophysis
- attenuate
- big tree
- blenny
- buttonhook
- cabriole
- canvas
- carrot
- coat-tail
- codling
- crocodile
- dragonet
- drift
- fastigiate
- funnel
- fusiform
- goby
- gore
- grenadier
- lanceolate
- leg-of-mutton
- mess jacket
- peg-top
- pennon
- pick
- rat-tail
- retort
- sea scorpion
- shalwar
- sheath
- Siamese cat
- spire
- standard
- stiletto
- subulate
- tail coat
- terete
- toadfish
- tobacco
- triangulation station
- tulip
- tuque
- yardarm
- acuminate
- amphora
- anelace
- baggies
- banjo clock
- basilard
- Bibb lettuce