Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

taper

1 verb
     
ta‧per1 [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.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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