taper off
English edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
taper off (third-person singular simple present tapers off, present participle tapering off, simple past and past participle tapered off)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see taper, off.
- The glass tapers off at the top.
- (idiomatic) To diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.
- Months after they printed the article, the number of angry letters finally started to taper off.
- 1960 September, G. Freeman Allen, “I.C.I. fertiliser goes by rail from Tees-side”, in Trains Illustrated, page 534:
- The traffic tapers off towards mid-May, but it continues in some measure throughout the off-peak months.
Translations edit
diminish or lessen gradually; to become smaller, slower, quieter, etc.
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