† ˈtapon Sc. Obs.
Also 6 tappone, tawpon, talpoun, 7 tapoun.
[a. F. tapon (1382 in Hatz.-Darm.), earlier form of tampon plug, etc., f. taper to plug (of OLG. origin: see tap v.1).]
A word having the general sense ‘plug, peg, pin’, in various applications.
1. A peg in a drinking-vessel, a pin; = peg n.1 2 b, pin n.1 1 f.
| 1543 Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1871) II. 112 That all nichtboures..sendand for wyne..haif thair pynts of just mesure merkett with the townis merk, and that the samyn haif ane talpoun as vse is in vther pairts. 1543–4 Ibid. 115 Stowppis of mesour with tawponis in the hals, merket with the townis merk. 1551 Ibid. 161 That the samyn haue ane tappone as vs is in vther pairtis. |
2. A peg acting as a tappet (tappet1).
| 1640 A. Melville in Extracts fr. Comm.-pl. (1899) 29 The said quheill hath of taponis that liftis ye hamer 8. |
3. A main branch or ramification of the root of a tree or plant; a subsidiary root.
| 1641 R. Baillie Lett., to Mrs. Baillie 6 Feb. (1841) I. 298 We trust God will putt them [the Bishops] doun, bot the difficultie to gett all the tapouns of their roots pulled up are yet insuperable by the arme of man. |
4. tapon staff, ? the stave containing the vent-peg.
| 1661 Sc. Acts Chas. II (1820) VII. 230/2 That no barrell be sooner made and bloune, but the Coupers birne be set theron, on the tapon staff thairof. |