I. ta ‧ per 1 /ˈteɪpə $ -ər/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
to become gradually narrower towards one end, or to make something become narrower at one end
taper to
His wide chest tapers to a small waist.
—tapering adjective :
long tapering fingers
taper off phrasal verb
to decrease gradually:
Profits may be tapering off in the near future.
II. taper 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: tapor , taper 'thin candle' ]
1 . a very thin ↑ candle :
small boys holding lighted tapers
2 . a piece of string covered in ↑ wax , used for lighting lamps, ↑ candle s etc:
The box contained a taper to light each firework.