Obs. or arch. Forms: 4–7 tapis (4 tapise, -ice), 6–7 tappas, 6–8 tapish, 7 tappish, tappes, 7–9 tappis, 9 tappice. [f. OF. (se) tapir, tapiss- (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.); ulterior origin uncertain: see -ISH2.] intr. To lie close to the ground, lie low so as to be hid; to lurk, skulk, lie hid. (The pa. pple. is commonly used in intransitive sense: cf. fallen, risen.)
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 3. With joy alle at ons þei went tille Snawdone On Iuor & Ini, þat tapised by þat side, To purueie þam a skulkyng, on þe Englis eft to ride. Ibid. (c. 1330), Chron. Wace (Rolls), 11529. Þou schal nought tapice a night to slepe.
1592. Warner, Alb. Eng., VII. xxxvi. (1612), 175. Now tappas closely, silly Heart, The Huntsmans-selfe is blind.
1599. A. Hume, Hymns, Day Estivall, 126. The hart, the hynd, and fallow deare, Are tapisht at their rest.
1611. Markham, Countr. Content., I. iv. (1668), 25. Hee will tappish oft, that is, he will ever and anon be lying down and lurking in dark holes and corners.
1613. Drumm. of Hawth., Cypress Grove, Wks. (1711), 119. The spider; that pitcheth toyls, and is tapist, to prey on the smaller creatures.
1659. Lady Alimony, II. vi., in Hazl., Dodsley, XIV. 322. Sir Reuben … like a ranger may tappis where he likes.
1688. Shadwell, Sqr. Alsatia, V. i. You’ll find him tappes’d in some Ale-house.
1823. Scott, Peveril, xxxiii. Your father … is only tappiced in some corner.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Tappis, to lie close to the ground. A sportsman’s phrase…. ‘It is so wet the birds cannot tappis.’
b. trans. (and refl.) To hide, conceal. arch.
a. 1660. Contemp. Hist. Irel. (Ir. Archæol. Soc.), II. 127. If you yett insiste to see the disposition of man to the quicke discouered, and take of the veile wherwith [it is] tapissied.
1831. Scott, Cast. Dang., xi. Having tappiced herself behind the little bed.
Hence † Tapised (tapist, tapiced) ppl. a., hidden, concealed; † Tapissing vbl. sb., in quot. concr. a hiding-place.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, xvii. 13. He sett myrknesis his tapissynge [L. latibulum].
1621. Lady M. Wroth, Urania, 35. Wee … made them as fearefully rush vp, as a tapist Buck will doe, when he finds his enemies so neere.
