Forms: 1 tæppestre, 4 tappester, 4–6 tapester, 5 tep(p)estere, tapstere, 5–6 tappyster, Sc. and n. dial. topstare, 6 -ar, 5– tapster. [OE. tæppestre, fem. of tæppere, TAPPER1: see -STER.]
† 1. orig. A woman who tapped or drew ale or other liquor for sale in an inn; a hostess. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., ix. (Z.), 36. Caupona, tæppestre.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 241. He knew … euerich Hostiler and Tappestere.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 486/2. Tapstare, ducillaria, propinaria, clipsidraria.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. vi. h vj b. That I haue sayd of the seruauntes beyng men, the same I say of the women as chaumberers and tapsters.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., III. 495. With sum praty tasppysster wold I fayne rown.
a. 1518. Skelton, Magnyf., 420. A tappyster lyke a lady bryght.
1568. Satir. Poems Reform., xlviii. 100. Thre lassis … That tyme that thay wer tapsiaris.
2. A man who draws the beer, etc., for the customers in a public house; the keeper of a tavern.
The word in the first three quots. may be feminine.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1594. Tauerners, tapsters, all the toune ouer.
c. 1450. Mankind, 267, in Macro Plays, 11. I haue be sethen with ȝe comyn tapster of Bury.
1530. Palsgr., 279/1. Tapster, boutelier, boutiliere.
1570. Levins, Manip., 77/4. A Tapster, promus.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., I. iii. 17. An old Cloake, makes a new Ierkin; a wither’d Seruingman, a fresh Tapster.
1612. W. Parkes, Curtaine-Dr. (1876), 26. Ther’s Tom the Tapster peerelesse for renowne, That drank three hundred drunken Dutch-men downe.
1676. Lond. Gaz., No. 1103/4. John Bowman,… late Tapster at the Bear Inn in Bath.
1720. Swift, Stella’s Birthday, 9.
| Nay, tho’ the treach’rous tapster Thomas | |
| Hangs a new angel two doors from us. |
1871. Smiles, Charac., i. (1876), 14. The decayed serving-men and tapsters who filled the Commonwealth’s army.
† 3. One who sells by retail or in small quantities.
1402. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 95. Me thynkith ȝe ben tapsteres, in alle that ȝe don; ȝe tappe ȝour absoluciones that ȝe bye at Rome.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 101. The abbesse graunted that her men of Wycombe shold be tempters or tapsters of brede and ale in the fee of the same abbesse.
4. Comb., as tapster-like adj.
1607. R. C[arew] trans. Estienne’s World of Wonders, A iv b. Leauing inkhorne phrases and tapsterlike termes for the tauerne.
1842. F. Howes, Horace’s Sat., I. 2. This tapster-like retailer of the laws.
Hence Tapstering ppl. a., acting as a tapster; Tapsterly a., characteristic of or befitting a tapster; Tapstership, the office of a tapster; † Tapstry, a tap-room.
1861. Sala, Dutch Pict., xii. 187. Is he going to scour the country with his marauding, *tapstering butchers?
1589. Nashe, Pref. Greene’s Menaphon (Arb.), 9. In anie *tapsterlie tearmes whatsoeuer.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, I. i. 5. Honest and valiant men, not tapsterly praters.
1597. 1st Pt. Return fr. Parnass., V. ii. 1538. As for youre *tapstershipp in hell, it were a good office in soe whott a place.
14[?]. Beryn, 299. The Pardoner … Stalkid in to the *tapstry.
