Taps is a bugle call played at military funerals, memorial services, and at the end of each day on military bases. The melody consists of 24 notes played slowly and solemnly, taking about a minute to perform. When you hear Taps at a military cemetery, a lone bugler stands at a distance while everyone remains silent and still, honoring those who served.

The call originated during the Civil War in 1862, when Union General Daniel Butterfield revised an existing bugle call to signal lights out at the end of the day. Soldiers needed to know when to extinguish their candles and go to sleep, and Taps became that signal. Soon both Union and Confederate armies adopted it.

Over time, Taps took on deeper meaning. Because it marked the end of the day, military traditions began using it at funerals to symbolize a soldier's final rest. Today, when Taps plays at Arlington National Cemetery or at memorial ceremonies, it represents a grateful nation saying goodbye to someone who served. The haunting melody has no words, yet everyone understands its message of honor, sacrifice, and farewell.

The word can also refer to the taps you turn to control water flow from a sink or bathtub, though Americans typically call these faucets.