tapa

1 of 2

noun (1)

ta·​pa ˈtä-pə  ˈta- 

: a coarse cloth made in the Pacific islands from the pounded bark especially of the paper mulberry and usually decorated with geometric patterns

tapa

2 of 2

noun (2)

: an hors d'oeuvre served with drinks especially in Spanish bars

—usually used in plural

Examples of tapa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Capital One Landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. serves Spanish entrées and tapas by chef José Andrés. —Sonal Dutt, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025

Indianapolis restaurants: Carmel gets new tapas bar, two northside favorites close in August Moe’s Southwest Grill Moe Rewards members can choose a cup of guac or queso as their birthday gift. —Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 17 Sep. 2025

The full menu will be available through 10 p.m., with only a small bites and tapas menu available in the later hours. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025

There’s no better way to begin a pilgrimage than by having tapas at a family-run restaurant. —Hayley Domin, AFAR Media, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Marquesan & Tahitian

Noun (2)

Spanish, literally, cover, lid, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English tæppa tap

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1939, in the meaning defined above