Word
tapas
US/ˈtəpəs/
UK/tˈɑːpəz/
Definitions
01Spanish food
n. small plates of Spanish food, like olives, cheese, or meat, usually served with drinks.
n. a variety of small savoury Spanish dishes or snacks, traditionally served with sherry or other alcoholic beverages.
“We ordered several different tapas to share while we sat outside the café.”
“The restaurant specialises in authentic Andalusian tapas, ranging from simple marinated olives to complex seafood preparations.”
Usage
Usually used in the plural form 'tapas' even when referring to the cuisine in general.
Synonyms
02spiritual discipline
n. a religious practice in India that involves self-discipline and simple living.
n. the practice of asceticism and self-discipline in Hinduism and Jainism, aimed at spiritual purification.
“The monk spent years in tapas, living a very simple life in the mountains.”
“In ancient Vedic traditions, tapas is described as a heat-generating spiritual practice that leads to higher consciousness.”
Technical
Usage
Uncountable in this sense.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Spanish tapas, the plural of tapa (“appetizer, tapa; cap, lid (cover of a container)”) (from the fact that plates of tapas were originally placed on the tops of glasses of alcoholic beverages as lids), from Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐍀𐍀𐌰 (tappa), from Proto-Germanic tappô (“plug; tap”), from Proto-Indo-European deh₂p- (“to lose; to sacrifice”). Doublet of tap.
From Sanskrit तप् (tap, “heat; to be hot”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tep- (“to be warm or hot”). Related to tepid.
From tapa + -s.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tapas