tap water

noun

: water as it comes from a tap (as in a home)

Examples of tap water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Waterdrop sells sugar-free cubes that dissolve in tap water, a business built on refill frequency rather than shelf presence. — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 The disaster left thousands of households without electricity and tens of thousands without tap water. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 The Philadelphia Water Department offers free lead testing of tap water on request. — Christine Kirchhoff, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 By then, your toothbrush has been rinsed repeatedly in tap water and left to sit in a warm, humid bathroom—giving any lingering microbes plenty of time to multiply before the brush goes right back into your mouth. — Angela Haupt, Time, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tap water

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tap water was in 1881

Rhymes for tap water

See All Rhymes for tap water

Browse Nearby Words

Tapuya
tap water
tap wrench
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tap water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tap%20water. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tap water

noun
: water as it comes from a tap (as in a home)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of colloquial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All