"tap up" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "taps up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tapping up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tapped up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tapped up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "tap up (third-person singular simple present taps up, present participle tapping up, simple past and past participle tapped up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "tortious interference"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "58 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"up\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "54 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "In earlier years, the intelligence services would often recruit agents by tapping them up.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make a specific approach to a person considered to be suitable for a professional position."
      ],
      "id": "en-tap_up-en-verb-VRF~TGfj",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, British) To make a specific approach to a person considered to be suitable for a professional position."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sports",
          "orig": "en:Sports",
          "parents": [
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "54 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make an approach to a player, under contract to another club, in order to attempt to negotiate a transfer."
      ],
      "id": "en-tap_up-en-verb-c-0gf6FZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "approach",
          "approach"
        ],
        [
          "player",
          "player"
        ],
        [
          "contract",
          "contract"
        ],
        [
          "club",
          "club"
        ],
        [
          "attempt",
          "attempt"
        ],
        [
          "negotiate",
          "negotiate"
        ],
        [
          "transfer",
          "transfer"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, British, sports) To make an approach to a player, under contract to another club, in order to attempt to negotiate a transfer."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "Canada",
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "tamper"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tap up"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"up\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "taps up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tapping up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tapped up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tapped up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "tap up (third-person singular simple present taps up, present participle tapping up, simple past and past participle tapped up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "tortious interference"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "In earlier years, the intelligence services would often recruit agents by tapping them up.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make a specific approach to a person considered to be suitable for a professional position."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, British) To make a specific approach to a person considered to be suitable for a professional position."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Sports"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make an approach to a player, under contract to another club, in order to attempt to negotiate a transfer."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "approach",
          "approach"
        ],
        [
          "player",
          "player"
        ],
        [
          "contract",
          "contract"
        ],
        [
          "club",
          "club"
        ],
        [
          "attempt",
          "attempt"
        ],
        [
          "negotiate",
          "negotiate"
        ],
        [
          "transfer",
          "transfer"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, British, sports) To make an approach to a player, under contract to another club, in order to attempt to negotiate a transfer."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "Canada",
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "tamper"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tap up"
}